


Child's Play

by 00Cat00



Series: The Jotün and the Prince [1]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, Norse Religion & Lore, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), Thor (Movies)
Genre: Angst, Child Abandonment, Cute Kids, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Kid Loki and Kid Thor (Marvel), Loki (Marvel) Does What He Wants, My First AO3 Post, Thor (Marvel) is Not Stupid
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-26
Updated: 2020-12-12
Packaged: 2021-03-08 02:08:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 12
Words: 32,893
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26667994
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/00Cat00/pseuds/00Cat00
Summary: Thor swore he would hunt the monsters and slay them all. He was going to be a great king, just like his father! And the best place to start? Jötunheim.Sneaking into a stray portal, he finds a small, weak Jötunn boy in the frozen land. However, when he tries to capture him, he finds out he might be stronger than he thought...and also kind of fun to be with?Thor's whole world is thrown upside down as he spends time with the boy, and he finds out that, maybe, Jötnar are not as bad as he thought.----------------------Fluff and Angst, Thor being Thor, Loki being Done™, and Laufey being awful.(Thor POV)
Relationships: Frigga | Freyja & Loki (Marvel), Frigga | Freyja & Thor (Marvel), Frigga | Freyja/Odin (Marvel), Loki & Odin (Marvel), Loki & Thor (Marvel), Odin & Thor (Marvel)
Series: The Jotün and the Prince [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2043178
Comments: 87
Kudos: 360





	1. Hunt the Monster

Thor loved to play 'Hunt the Monster'.

It was a simple game, were you made teams of five people on both sides. One side claimed the 'Asgardian' title, and the others were the monsters.

The monsters always varied, changing from Draugar, to Mare, and even, in some ocasions, the Jormungandr. The Asgardians seeked to chase the monsters and fight them, capturing them and bringing them to their base. If all of the monsters were successfully apprehended, the Asgardians won. If, on the contrary, the monsters managed to evade them past the time limit, they lost. 

Thor always won.

He was the son of Odin, the All-Father, so of course he did! He would be the mightiest warrior, and would rule Asgard with power, leading them to gleaming victory. He was sure of it!

The eight hundred year old boy ran through the field happily, having defeated his foes in the game once more. The citizens bowed to him or waved as he went past them, smiling at his excitement. 

He had reached the training grounds of the palace, leaving his wooden sword on the dusty ground, when Sif called out to him.

"Thor!"

Sif was training to be a warrior when she grew up. Thor did not really think she could become so at first, women couldn't be on the front lines after all, not since the Valkyries, and he had said as much, but then she had punched him in the face and he thought that perhaps she would be an exception. Her fist was certainly enhanced with strength.  
She trained in the castle during the day, sometimes joining Thor and his friends on their daring adventures, and went home at nightfall. She showed promise, and their instructors were proud of her. Thor was no longer ashamed of occasionally being beaten by her when they sparred. She was a wonderful friend and a capable lady, and he did not doubt she would go far one day.

"Have you captured the enemy yet?"

"Of course! They were all defeated swiftly!" Thor beamed.

She laughed.

"I would not expect anything less. Are you going to tell the King?"

Thor puffed his chest out, placing a proud fist against his heart.

"I shall tell them my victory, and bring them the treasures we conquered!" 

"I trust you will let me join next time, I feel like beating up some trolls" she smirked.

"You would be most welcome Sif! But they were not _trolls_ , they were Jötnar!" he corrected.

Sif nodded, eyes widening a fraction.

"Very dangerous creatures, indeed" she muttered.

"More like brutes and dalcops" he huffed. "When I'm king, I will hunt the monsters down and slay them all!" he demonstrated excitedly, swinging his arm through the air as if holding a sword. Sif smiled at him, but it seemed a little bit strained.

"Then I would like to aid you in that endeavor"

"Aye! We will certainly win!" he boasted, confident.

"I will not keep you, Thor, you best be going" Sif started to walk back to her training, nodding her head in farewell. 

"Goodbye, Sif!"

\--------------------

"Mother! Father!" 

Thor pouted, frustrated. He had been looking for them everywhere, but no servants seemed to know were they were. 

How was he supposed to tell them his great victory? He longed to see his mother's soft smile, and feel his father's hand ruffling his hair.

"My lady!" Thor called to a maid, hanging clothing in a line facing the last rays of sunshine for the day. She turned around, startled, but relaxed when he saw him, her face blossoming into a smile.

"Prince Thor, what can I do for you?"

"Have you seen mother and father? I wish to speak with them"

She frowned, rubbing her finger on her chin as she thought.

"I heard they were going to the Golden Room to speak about the upcoming encounter with the Jötnar" she said.

Thor's eyes widened.

"Upcoming encounter? No one has told me anything about this! What encounter?" He asked, excitement making his stomach flutter.

He had been nothing but a babe when the war with Jötunheim was over, and, as hard as he wished to witness one of Asgard's famous confrontations, he had never been able to. But now he might have an actual chance! Encountering was the same as battling, after all, was it not?

The maid looked confused.

"Everyone has been preparing for it, my prince. It seems King Laufey had demanded to get the Casket of Ancient Winters back from the vault. He made threats against Asgard when his Majesty refused, so the King is preparing to have a reunion with them–" she explained.

"Will the Jötnar attempt to snatch the Casket?!"

"I-I do not know, my prince, but the King is planning to face them before they can think of it" she stuttered, shocked at his enthusiasm.

"I see, thank you, my lady!"

Thor left running, leaving the maid muttering a confused "You are welcome" behind.

How exciting! Thor would be able to see his father conquer Jötunheim once and for all! Those beasts would fall, and Asgard could claim their snowy lands. He gasped. Perhaps they would let _him_ come along! He had never seen the icy territory, and the books depicted it as a barren and empty homeland, but surely it must have _something_ of interest! Thor changed his course and went for the family banquet room, deciding to grab something to eat while waiting, but, when he pushed the heavy door open, he was surprised to see his parents already there.

"Mother, father!"

They seemed to be in heavy discussions, though they stopped when Thor called out to them. He ran and embraced his mother by the waist, relishing the warm contact and the faint tingling of her magic.

"My son, welcome back" his mother smiled sweetly at him.

"Look at you, you are all covered in mud and dirt" she chuckled, her soft hands caressing his cheek. "Let us fix that"

Thor felt the gentle Seidr of his mother covering his body, feeling all funny and warm. He closed his eyes reflexively, and let the magic do its work.

"There, all cleaned up" 

Thor looked down at himself to see no trace of the scratches and dirt he had brought with him from the forest, and smiled up at her.

"Thank you, mother!"

His father was watching them both with fondness in his one eye, although the lines on his face were tense. Thor ran up to him next, and stood as tall as he could, trying to appear strong. Odin's eyes filled with amusement.

"What has the mighty Thor done on this day?" he asked, voice rumbling.

"I have conquered yet another realm, father! All enemies were quickly defeated, and we have taken their land!" he stated proudly.

Odin's hand rested upon his head, and Thor felt a swell of pride as he looked up at him. He wanted to be just like him when he grew up...maybe he would get an eyepatch as well!

"Well done, my son. Do you have any treasures you want to show me this time?"

Thor hesitated.

"...I _did_ have treasure, father. But Finn claimed it for himself today" he felt a little ashamed. Usually he would have some sort of trophy ready, so his parents could keep it, but that day Finnvid (Finn, for friends) was particularly insistent that he had the pretty golden feather that belonged to Slothi. Thor wanted to have it, but Finn was four hundred years older than him, and he was very remarkable in the art of the sword, owning a marvelous steel blade that he loved to make gleam in the light, so he supposed he could have it instead.   
Plus, Thor did not want to whine like a toddler when _Finn_ wanted to hang out with them. He was very _'cool'_ –a curious Midgardian term father had taught him the other day–and Thor wanted to impress him. Perhaps then he would let him come along to drink in the tavern with his friends. 

Odin, against all odds, did not berate him for it.

"That is quite alright, Thor. A king must not keep the treasure all to himself, but share it with others"

Thor nodded politely, although he still mourned the pretty feather in his head.

Frigga seemed to notice his mood dim, for she asked,

"Which foes did you fight today, love?"

"Oh, J–" Suddenly, he remembered what he heard.

"Mother, father! Is it true?" he exclaimed, face brightening once more, previous question forgotten.

Frigga blinked. "What is, dove?"

"That you will go fight the Jötnar! Will you really, father?" Thor's eyes were alight with wonder.

Odin and Frigga tensed.

"Fight the Jötnar? I shall do no such thing, Thor. Who has told you that lie?" his father's voice dropped, sounding a bit scary.

Thor's excitement dampened, looking between his parents. Frigga's slender fingers were twisted in her dress, white with tension. Her mouth was set on a thin line as he looked from her husband to her son. Odin, on the other hand, never led his eyes away from the child, his posture rigid and powerful. 

"A-a maid, father, she said you would go fight the Jötnar so they cannot steal the Casket from the vault" he stammered, feeling like he did when he'd missed a step on the stairs somehow. The same void opening on his stomach, like gravity had disappeared for a second. Was he not supposed to know of the battle? Or had he misunderstood something? As the silence stretched, Thor grew more nervous, shuffling his feet as he waited for either of his parents to say something. Were they mad at him? What had he done wrong?  
Against his will, tears formed in his eyes, and he sniffed.

Frigga's frown softened at his shiny eyes, and she knelt in front of him.

"Don't cry, my love, we are not mad at you" she cooed, brushing her hands across his cheeks gently, getting rid of any stray moisture.

"Thor–" his father began.

"Dear, let me explain. He is still a child, and does not understand such matters" she interrupted, looking up at Odin. The All-Father frowned, but nodded his head, signaling for her to go ahead.

Thor fought the urge to huff. He was _not_ a child! He was eight hundred! He could understand matters of war!

"Beloved, listen. Your father will _not_ be going to war. They will only talk, like civilized nations, and, if the Norns are on our side, we will reach a peaceful _agreement_ " Frigga explained gently. "You remember what an agreement is, do you not?"

"Of _course_ I do, mother" Thor looked down, furrowing his eyebrows. "But I do not understand why we cannot simply erase the Jötun race, if they cause so much trouble" he grumbled.

"A wise king _never_ seeks out war, Thor" Odin stated firmly, locking his blue eye into his.

Thor had a hundred responses to that. Mainly, that Jötnar were nothing but trouble, they were savages, and ate children for breakfast. They certainly would _not_ be able to reach an agreement with Asgard. If they nipped the danger in the bud, not only would they be able to keep the snowy land, but the frost giants would never cause trouble again! It was that simple!  
However, Thor knew his father would oppose his views, and if he did, then so would Frigga. His mother always seemed to side with his father, after all.

"Do you understand me, son? If you are to be king one day, you would only lead Asgard to misery if you keep on thinking as such" he explained gravely.

"..."

"Well?"

"I understand, father"

Thor did not, in fact, understand. But his parents gave him a piece of sweet bread, and, with a parting kiss from his mother, he was sent to his room. Somewhere along the conversation, the sun had gone down all the way, and it was time for Thor to 'go to bed', _as if he was a two hundred year old._

That night, the prince lay awake in his bed, tracing the patterns of the sheets absently. Why couldn't his parents understand? It was true he did not know much about frost giants, but he had always been told they were violent creatures, even from the nursery. The books said so, guards said so, his friend Finn said so...so why did his father refuse?...He could not be _scared_ , surely. His father was the strongest king in all the Nine Realms! Nothing could beat him, so he could not be scared of _Jötunheim_.  
Thor turned around, facing the wall, and yawned widely. What could he do to prove himself? If they refused to act, then...he, the prince, would have to do something. Master Runar always said he would be responsible of Asgard one day, being his parent's only son. He might as well start now. 

In the quiet of the night, Thor drifted into the void of dreams, a plan forming in his mind.


	2. Slay Them All

Next morning, Thor bolted from his room, straight to the training grounds, carrying a wide bag of things on his back. He greeted the guards, and, while making idle conversation, told them he would go with his friends to the forest near the sea, and he would probably not be back until dark. The guards nodded and wished him luck, and he was off.

Of course, Thor would not be meeting his friends. They did not have plans for today, and he was lucky Master Runar had caught a cold and was recovering in his home. The substitute master they had appointed him was an old man, bearded and fat, and he spent his time snoring on the couch. Thor had been annoyed with him at first, but he had quickly discovered his snoring did not stop once he sneaked out to play or explore. And now, his mentor's laziness was being useful once again.   
He had almost gone out to get Finn, or any of his friends, but then he had thought that seemed incredibly cowardly, and he changed his mind. He would do this on his own.

He would catch a frost giant.

Thor ran trough the forest (in another direction entirely), his golden hair swaying in the breeze, and hid behind some bushes. No one ever passed this deep into the woods, but he wanted to be safe. There, he opened his bag. Taking off his tunic, he changed into a heavy coat with fur lining, and winter boots. He saved the gloves for last. There were some sweet breads, pastries and pieces of meat, along with some Thorn Oranges and a water canteen. Thor did _not_ like thorn oranges, the were too bitter and the green-ish shell had little hairs on it, which was disgusting, but Fey, one of the cooks of the palace, always gave him some and she was very sweet, so Thor never had the heart (or the guts) to deny her.

At the bottom of the bag was a sword, a real, steel sword. Thor was not as stupid as to believe a wooden sword would help him win, so he had stol–ehem, _borrowed_ one from the training grounds when no one was looking. It was heavier than he expected, and hard to move around, but he would manage.

Now, to the stray bridges.

Stray bridges were all around Asgard, and they were typically harmless and small, where one could end up meters away from one's location, or in a forest, or the beach. They could also be there one day, and disappear the other. Thor had gotten caught up in some several times. However, the real _dangerous_ bridges, (where they stopped being bridges and started being _portals_ ) were in the forest he was in right now, and beyond. That was the reason no one ever went there, much less children. They had been warned again and again about the stray portals. They had specific locations, they never moved, and they often lead to dangerous lands, the largest ones being able to take you to another realm.

Thor was looking for a snowy one.

You could identify the portals by their color. Thor had read some books, and the ones which led to Jötunheim were silvery or white. The ones leading to Asgard were golden.

Thor looked around for some minutes, which turned into hours, and he kicked a pebble angrily. Why were those portals hiding from him?! He could pretend it was because they were scared of the mighty Thor, but he was too impatient to do so.

Just as he was about to give up, he caught a glimpse of white. There! A portal roughly the size of a horse, gleaming and _perfect_. Little snowflakes scattered around the grass, melting almost immediately in Asgard's warm weather. Thor felt a spark of giddiness and his chest felt too tight for his body, but in a good way. This was it! He could almost see it, the mighty Thor returning victorious to Asgard, a standing ovation surrounding him as he threw a (faceless) Jötun at his father's feet. His determination renewed. He could do this.

Taking a deep breath, Thor stepped through the portal.

...And immediately got slapped with a gust of icy wind.

Thor hurriedly put the hood over his head, the soft fur only barely managing to block the freezing air. His eyes felt dry, and as he looked around the snowy landscape, he realized he had been thrown out in the middle of a blizzard. It also appeared to be empty. No cities or towns in sight. No Jötnar either. Thor's teeth started chattering. He _may_ have miscalculated. But he was not supposed to know whether it was storming or not! It was not his fault! 

A waft of wind nearly knocked his slender frame down. Shelter. He needed to find shelter, wait until the storm died down, and then look for Jötnar. Easy. 

Thor started the painful walk through all the snow, his trousers getting wet. The snow reached his knees, making it difficult to take a single step. Frost giants _lived_ like this? No wonder they were so violent then. _No one would like to live in such a place_ , he thought with disgust. _And there is nothing to see! Not a monument, or a castle, or a city. Just snow, snow, and more snow_. After a few agonizing minutes, he glimpsed the corner of a cave to his left. It was a medium sized hole, made with ice and black rock. It was quite large in depth but perfect in height, coming up just above his head. (To anyone else, it would seem small) Thankful, he entered the space, and huddled in a corner, trying to keep the heat in his body. He could start a fire, but the wind was too strong, and one of the first lessons he learned about survival was that you would not light a fire if you wanted to remain invisible to your enemy. The smoke would lead them to you. 

So he sat, drenched and rigid and miserable, half wishing he had never decided to come at all.

The relative tranquility lasted for a total of 6 minutes (he counted) until rattling noise caught his attention. Standing up quickly, he took a small dagger and stalked towards the noise. If it was an animal, he could kill it and eat it later. If it was something else...Thor shook with anticipation as he rounded a big rock–

A gasp.

It was a frost giant.

_A frost giant!_

Or, at least, a baby one, Thor thought numbly, taking in the figure before him. It was the only possible conclusion, for the books always remarked the monstrous height of the Jötnar, and this one was very small, almost the same height as him.

Wild red eyes locked onto his, black locks of hair framing a small, blue face. The tiny frost giant looked to be about Thor's age, maybe a bit younger, dressed in nothing but a ragged undergarment similar to a loincloth. Perhaps it had been white once, but it had been aged poorly and it was now a dull grey color. When he bared his teeth, Thor caught a glimpse of fangs before the boy scrambled away from him, rushing to stand on wobbly legs.

This was his chance!

Thor raised the dagger–he cursed himself for leaving the sword in his bag–and puffed his chest, taking a few steps forward.

"Frost giant! I, the mighty Thor of Asgard, have come to capture you! Surrender, or else I will not hesitate to hurt you!" he exclaimed, trying to keep his voice from shaking under the cold.

The boy looked up and down at him, his expression distinctly unamused. Thor felt a rush of embarrassment under that serious gaze. He was not being taken seriously!

"Bow, creature, for I am the future _king_ of Asgard!" he demanded, trying to make the Jötun realize his position.

The boy did no such thing, and released a huff of air from his nose. Thor's mouth hung open. _H-Had he just laughed at him?!_

Oh, that is _it,_ Thor thought darkly. No one mocks the mighty Thor!

With a battle cry, Thor surged forward, swinging the dagger, aiming for the boy's stomach. The Jötun's eyes darkened, and he outstretched his arm, making Thor falter. He had a weapon? No, he did not. He had checked him over, and so underdressed, no one could hide a sword or an ice dagger, or whatever frost giants used to fight. He was surely bluffing.

Thor was centimeters away from his mark when a wall of _something_ knocked him flat on his back with a painful cough. Ice? No. It felt...softer, but no less solid than a real wall. Sort of tingly, but different from his mother's–

Oh.

No, no no _no_.

It could not be _magic!_ Frost giants did not use magic! Thor panicked, and swung his dagger again from the side, refusing to budge. This time, he could see the boy's seidr. It was green, wispy like smoke, but not as harmless. He was thrown back again like a rag doll, but not before he managed to slice the boy's arm. He hissed, dark blue blood seeping through the wound. His seidr seemed to wobble at that, before spiking up and slamming Thor to the ground. He could not breathe. This was different from his mother's seidr, and he wondered if she could do this sort of things as well. It seemed impossible, that the same gentle magic that cleaned his wounds the day before could be used for this.

Thor was in trouble, he was cold, he was hurt, and _he could not breathe_. They did not train to fight against this, and now Thor regretted not paying attention in his magic classes. He threw his dagger blindly in a desperate attempt to lift the pressure. A yelp told him he had hit his mark, at least, he thought he had. Norns, he would not lose to this, this– _child!_

But that is exactly what happened.

Thor got his remaining breath knocked out of him by a heavy foot stomping on his stomach. He tried to stand, but a cool pressure on the side of his neck froze his movements.

His dagger was pressing against his neck, just on the edge of cutting.

 _Norns, was this how he died?_ Thor thought frantically. _Mother, father, help! Anyone! For Odin, he was such a fool! What was he thinking?!_

Thor closed his eyes, readying himself for the blow. Against his will, a tear slid down his frozen cheek. He did not want to die. He did _not_ want to _die!_ The hand against his throat faltered, and after a few tense breaths, disappeared. 

"You certainly are a fool. What were you thinking, providing your enemy with your own weapon?"

Thor's eyes snapped open. Who–?

The Jötun boy was staring down at him, a blank expression on his face. The dagger was held loosely in his hand, but al least it was not pointing at him anymore. Thor scrambled and sat up, pressing himself against the wall.

"Are all Aesir this moronic, or is it just you?" the boy asked, a sneer adorning his mouth.

Now, let it be said that Thor knew was not the most eloquent person, but what escaped his mouth made him cringe nevertheless.

_"You can talk?"_

The boy blinked.

"What do you mean? Did you think I growled?" he spat. "Of course I can talk"

"U-um, no...it is just. Are. Are you a frost giant?" he stammered, not knowing what was going on.

The boy gave him a disdainful look.

"You are either blind, stupid, or concussed. From what I've gathered, it is likely the second option"

"H-hey! I am the m–"

"The mighty Thor, yes, I heard. Another mistake. What assures you I will not take advantage of the information and demand a ransom to your king?" he drawled.

Thor tensed.

"You would not"

"Again. What makes you so sure?" he pointed his dagger at him, and Thor stilled. "We have already stablished I can hurt you. I would just need to threaten them with your death and it is done"

Thor felt sick. No one had ever spoken to him like this. _No one_ in Asgard spoke like this, not even when they were playing Hunt the Monster.

The dagger went down again.

"That would be nice, indeed" the boy muttered, glanced at him one last time and wobbled, as if suddenly tired, to Thor's bag, throwing out every thing he had inside and inspecting it. His hand stilled when it touched the sword, but he only spared him one glance with an arched eyebrow before he put it aside. When he got a good look at the food, though, his eyes widened a fraction, and he started to smell a sweet bread.

Thor perked up at this.

"H-hey, stop, that's mine!"

"Not anymore" the boy replied simply, biting down and humming contently before inspecting the other pastries.

Thor huffed, forgetting the situation for a moment and stomping over.

"That is _mine!_ You cannot have it!"

The boy looked up at him. Then, very slowly, he bit down once again, chewed and made a show of swallowing, all while looking at Thor with those unnerving red eyes. Thor's eye twitched.

This little–

"If you are hungry, you can have those awful thorn oranges, but not the rest!" he argued, before catching himself. He was a _frost giant_ , his mind screeched. _What are you–_

"Not a chance" the boy deadpanned, now munching on a strawberry cake. Thor's belly rumbled, and, in spite of the cold, he blushed. The boy arched an eyebrow, and, after seemingly considering, offered him the small cake.

Thor blinked.

"I would think this is not poisoned" the boy said dryly. "If you do not want it–"

"No! I do, give it!" Thor shouted, ripping the pastry from the boy's hand, before freezing.

 _Frostbite_. 

He winced, biting down the pain– _wait_. No pain? Thor looked at his clenched hand. It was as healthy as ever (besides a few scratches), no trace of the painful injury the Jötnar were known for. He looked at the boy, puzzled.

"What."

"Y–you do not. Um. Your skin does not...hurt?"

"It does not"

"...why? I thought Jötnar–"

"Not me" he answered curtly, averting his eyes and taking a thorn orange.

While the boy turned those over curiously, Thor tried to wrap his head around that fact. Frost giants gave anyone who touched them frostbite. But this boy did not. He used magic instead of ice weaponry, he was very small–for a Jötun–and seemed kind of... _frail_ was not the word, but...tired? Perhaps. Thor was snapped out of his musings by a gasp.

The boy had bitten into a thorn orange, and he was staring at it like it was a juicy piece of meat, munching rapidly, juice dripping down his chin.

"What is this?" he asked, awe in his voice.

"T-thorn oranges" Thor answered, shocked. 

"The ones you said were awful?"

"Yes...?"

"You are a rotten _liar_. I am keeping every one" the boy huddled all the oranges in his slim arms, and the image was so amusing Thor found himself smiling.

The blonde picked up a sweet bread and chewed, debating, before hesitantly sitting down next to him.

"I am glad you like them so much. I am not fond of them myself" he inexplicably conversed.

Talking with a frost giant. Unheard of. But when Thor looked at the boy, cheeks full of orange, he seemed almost...normal. Thor frowned. He should not be thinking this way about the enemy, but...

The boy defied the very image Thor had of the Jötnar, and not only because he was small. The boy had not killed him. He had beaten him in a fight, and had held a dagger to his throat, and yet...

He looked at the raging storm outside. If he did not look at him, it would almost feel like he was eating lunch with a f–

"I am glad I at least was able to have a good last meal" the boy quietly said.

"What?" Thor looked at him with wide eyes. The boy did not turn his way.

"The storm is dying down. You should go if you want to get–"

"No, wait. What do you mean 'a good last meal'?" Thor felt a hole in his stomach, and he suddenly was not hungry anymore.

"...I mean what I said" the boy looked at him with those strange eyes. "I do not think I will live more than two days, so this will be my last meal" he said as if it made sense.

Thor stood up, hands shaking.

"...Why? Are you sick?"

"No"

"Then–"

"It is none of your concern, it is fine" the boy said, finishing his second thorn orange.

This was a frost giant. Jötun. An enemy. And yet...

"Then is someone after you?"

"No. I told you, it is fine"

"It is _not!_ You are, what, five hundred–"

"I am _seven_ hundred, you oaf"

"–and are already talking about your death?" Thor finished, panting.

The boy looked at him with wide eyes. The boy. Seven hundred. That was only a little younger than Thor himself. So why–?

"What of your parents? Are you lost?"

The boy's eyes hardened.

"That is hardly any of your business" he bit out, the brief softness from before disappearing.

"It is my business, you say you will die! I–"

"Why does it matter if I do? You are an _Asgardian_ , the son of Odin, if you are to be believed" the boy stood up as well, facing Thor. His legs shook slightly. Thor realized he did not look sick, but was very thin, and his skin was a lighter shade of blue than other frost giant pictures he had seen. Was he...?

"What of it?"

"You should be happy" _That_ made him stop. He stood there, shocked, as the boy's words sunk in.

"You should be happy. I would have thought you would finish the job, if I did not know you could not for the life of you hold a sword" he frowned.

"I would not–"

"Truly? You are a _prince_. Asgard's prince, no less. Jötunheim is your biggest stone to move. You want to hunt us monsters–" Thor cringed "–and eventually slay every last one, is that not correct?"

That was the very reason he had come here, Thor thought with despair, and even so...even so...

"W-Well, I..."

"And by all means, go ahead. Jötunheim can burn to the ground for all I care" the hatred in those words left Thor speechless.

The silence stretched on.

"...Why do you hate it so?" Thor asked quietly. That did it.

"Why? _Why?_ Why would I not? We are not wild beasts like you Asgardians think, but we certainly act as such. For why would a good creature abandon their own child?"

_"Abandon–"_

"You surely noticed my height, did you not? I am not Jötnar material. I am a runt. A disgrace. A _deformity_. A tiny, frail thing not fit to be king" his words kept cutting and cutting.

"King?"

"Oh yes, I am of royal kin, just like you. Meant to be the son of your worst foe, but instead casted aside to _die_ on a frozen rock once the king realized I would not grow any higher" his voice was trembling now.

"That is horrible! You are very strong, and I am sure with the right training–"

"Do not talk to me about _training_ , Odinson. If your realm does not value seidr training as much as swords, then Jötunheim forbids it. A _cursed_ one, on top of being a disgrace"

"It was my birthright to die, and die I shall. That is all there is" he finished, his eyes suspiciously shiny, and sat down as if exhausted from his outburst.

Thor stayed were he was. He felt dizzy. How...? How many realms had Asgard destroyed again? How many had such horrible customs? How many had had children like this boy? 

Did they suffer? Did they weep? When they...

" _Why?_ Why do they do these twisted things?"

The boy looked at him, and his eyes were so, so tired.

"That is just how things are"

Not a sound could be heard. The storm had ended.

"Go home. Lest your parents worry" the boy muttered, and pushed his bag to him.

Thor took it gingerly, and peeked into it. There was no food. Good. Thor did not want it if it meant the boy could live at least a little longer. There was his sword, his clothes, and nothing more. It was enough. This was enough. Thor did not particularly want to leave after all this, but he was aware of the dim sky, and he knew Jötunheim's time was not too far off with Asgard's.

He glanced back one last time. Perhaps it was his imagination, but the boy, blue and red, all thin and tired, refusing to look at him, surrounded by thorn oranges, looked quite lonely.

_That is just how things are._

Were they?

Thor did not know, and he left without a farewell.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thor, going straight to enemy territory with a sword half his size and no real training: Oh boy, I sure hope I find a frost giant I can kill and definitely not become attached to!
> 
> Loki, from inside the cave: *Laughs evilly*


	3. Play The Part

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So sorry for the delay. I took a family trip that got longer than expected, but here we are! I'm gonna try to upload every week on Saturday, so look out for that! Thanks!

Thor was quiet that day.

He had managed to put on his normal clothes when he found himself in the forest once more, and he had moved, almost mechanically, all the way back to the castle, not feeling the weight of the sword that he had whined about before. His bruises from being slammed around hurt, like a dull kind of ache, but otherwise Thor felt numb.

He stopped at the castle, was greeted by some guards, and his wounds were tended by some maids. They were not painful enough to require healers. He was served dinner in the table, and he ate quietly, alone. His parents were busy, it was not uncommon for him to eat on his own, but he usually requested the presence of a jester or a guard, to fill the silence. That day, however, he requested to be left alone, and when asked, he said he was tired. It was not a lie. He _was_ tired, but it was not all he was.  
He could not help but think about a frost giant boy. He could not help but feel uncomfortable when he was bathed, or dressed. He felt as though he did not deserve it, and picturing the boy in that cold cave all alone while he slipped into his warm bed made is stomach twist into knots.

What had he said?

_That is just how things are._

That was not fair.

Thor was overcome with a wave of childish rage.

_That was not fair!_

Maybe for the Jötnar, it was. But not for _him_. Not for the boy. King Laufey of Jötunheim had always had a reputation of being a cruel, cold king among the Asgardians, but now Thor hated him with a new passion. He thought of every curse word he knew, of every one he had heard from Finn or other adults. He imagined being in front of Laufey, and shouting them to his face. If every single one of the Jötnar were so cruel...If they thought of abandoning their own children because of their size, then–

Then maybe they truly deserved to be killed.

But what about the ones who were subjected to such violence, like the raven haired boy? They did not deserve it, right? They _existed_ , right? Thor did not know, and he felt his stress rising. Even though they were innocent...! Even though the boy was supposed to be like Thor, a prince! He did not want to abandon the boy like that. He had food, but it was not enough. He had no clothes. He did not have a bed. Two days, he had said. Two days left. And he was only seven hundred. It was not _fair!_  
By now, Thor knew the boy was not like other frost giants, and not only in height. He spoke very wisely for a young kid, so he was surely bright, and was exceptionally skilled in the arts of magic. He had beaten Thor in no less than five minutes, and if he was this strong being starved and thin, then Thor was a bit scared of finding out what he was like when he was at his best.

_That is just how things are._

But they did not have to be. Thor knew it. Sif was fighting to prove that women could be the best at fighting as well as men. Thor could fight too.

Determined, Thor jumped down from the bed and started preparing. He would show the Norns he could change things. They did not have to be this way. Father was right, a good king never seeks out war. If Thor had done so, he may have missed the boy in the cave, and his death would be at his hands. If he ignored him now, it would be the same.

He had made up his mind. Frost giant or not, he would not let this boy die.

\----------------------------------------------------

When morning came, Thor sneaked out the palace, leaving a note saying he would go down to the beach and probably return late. It was early, very early, and Thor was accustomed to sleeping late before going out to play, so he was yawning repeatedly as he walked through the forest and changed, the same bag on his back. It was heavier this time.

He found the portal and hesitated for a second. He hoped the boy was still al–still _there_ , in the cave. He took a deep breath and stepped through.

This time, the wind had died down to a small breeze, and it was infinitely easier to walk through the snow, although it was still very cold. Thor sneezed a few times, cheeks getting rosy from the chill. From the portal, it was a short walk to the cave. Thor looked around a few times, to ensure that no one was there, and got in, dropping the heavy bag on the ground. Rolling his stiff shoulders, he turned around the big rock the boy had been leaning against the day before.

And he was met with the boy's body unmoving on the ground.

No. _No, no, no!_

"Hey! Are you alright! Answer me!" Thor's gloved hands shook the boy, desperation clawing at his heart. He couldn't be–

A sharp gasp echoed in the cave, and Thor found himself thrown in the same manner as before, slamming against the wall, pale green magic surrounding the very awake Jötun boy. It took several seconds for his eyes to focus, but when they did, he let him drop to the ground, heaving and trembling. Thor thought he looked worse than before.

"...Oaf" the boy greeted finally. Thor puffed out his cheeks.

"It is _Thor_ , not oaf"

"Same difference. May I ask why you woke me up so _gently?"_ he questioned, massaging his head.

"I...you were not moving, so I thought..." he said sheepishly.

"I am not dead yet, if that is what you are asking. I was merely sleeping" the boy huffed. "But thanks to you, that is no longer the case" he eyed him suspiciously. "What are you doing here again?"

Right.

"I brought you some things. Wait here" then he paused. "I did not bring anyone else, do not worry"

"Lucky me" the boy muttered sarcastically, but stayed put. Perhaps he was too weak to move, Thor thought with worry.

Thor dragged the bag next to the boy, who looked at him with his eyebrows raised.

"Did you bring a whole goat in there? Why is it so big?"

"You will see" Thor smiled at the boy, and he seemed surprised.

Thor fished out the first item.

"These are..." the boy breathed.

Thor held a soft tunic of a light yellow color, and another of the color red, both of them with hoods, a pair of resistant trousers and black comfortable boots. The material was one of the best, as Thor was the prince and got high quality products. The boy took them almost reverentially, and ran his blue fingers through the patterns. The awe in the boy's face when he looked at the blonde lit _something_ in Thor's chest, and he suddenly wanted to show him more.

"I also brought this"

He pulled out a piece of steak wrapped in a cloth, along with some sweet water and several thorn oranges.

The boy's eyes lighted up, and he reached, tentatively, for the fruit. Thor gave it to him.

The prince's chest felt swollen with pride. The boy looked at him with amazement, and he wanted to show him a hundred different things just to keep that starry expression on his face. _This_ was how he was supposed to look. Not sad, not serious. Like this. Maybe it was not quite happiness, but they were getting there. Thor would make sure of it.

And, well, if being in the end of such an amazed look made Thor's pride soar, no one needed to know.

"And this"

He unwrapped some blankets, ones he knew his mother had infused with calming magic.

" _And_ this"

Finally, he organized three books to the left. They were wide and heavy, books about legends and ancient adventures that Thor loved to read. They were classics, so that is why he was confused when the boy tilted his head with a frown, examining the cover of one.

"The Great...Njord?" he squinted.

"You do not know of him?" Thor asked, maybe a touch incredulously.

The boy shot him a dirty look.

"Pardon me, your _majesty_. It is not my fault they would not let me into the library" his cheeks took a darker shade of blue, and Thor realized with a start that he was embarrassed.

"No, it is alright! Then I suppose we shall have to start with this one!" he proclaimed.

"...We?"

"Aye, although if you feel more comfortable reading on your own, then–"

"No, I mean...you are surely not coming back _again_ tomorrow, are you?"

Thor fidgeted.

"...Norns, you _are_. _Why?_ And why did you bring all of this with you?"

"Because! I know I am not supposed to be here, but you spared my life, so I felt like...I–I wanted to thank you..." he trailed off.

"...Liar"

"H-huh?"

"I may not know tales about ancient Asgardian warriors, but I am no fool" the boy's red eyes looked into his, and Thor felt like a toddler being caught doing what was forbidden.

"Alright...I–You may not like this, but I want to help you"

"You. Want to help _me?_ "

"Yes. I realized I did not know anything about Jötnar, and you are nothing like I imagined them to be. I just cannot understand why any parent would abandon their child for such a _stupid_ reason" he growled, frustrated.

"It is fine. I am a runt, so–"

" _No!_ No, it is not fine! It is not fair that you were waiting to _die_ here, all alone, while I enjoyed my bed and food in the palace! It is not fair that your parents left you here because of your _size_ , and its is not fair that you are being shunned and ignored!" Thor felt tears prickling at his eyes.

"I may not know you very well. But I know you do not deserve to die. _No_ _one_ deserves to die if they can help it. And if no one is doing anything, then it is _my_ duty, as the prince, to fix it. That is what a good king does" the boy's mouth was slightly open, shock evident on his features.

"I...I feel like, I would like to get to know you better. We could teach each other things, and play, or read, or whatever you want. I just."

"I do not want you to die"

Thor sniffed roughly and wiped his tears. He would not _cry_. Crying was for babes.

"You are so stupid" the boy whispered, and started to weep.

Thor stood frozen. What had he done wrong? Had he said a bad thing? Why was the boy crying? Hesitant, he scooted over to the frost giant and patted him on the bare back, still getting used to being able to touch him and not get his hand burned. The boy's tears were like his, transparent and shiny, leaving little clear traces down his cheeks. Thor wanted to cry too, but he would not. He had to be strong. For this boy, who had been alone far too long, who had tried to be strong even as he was casted aside by everyone. He would be the strong one here.

"You are so _stupid_. A-a moron. An oaf" the boy sobbed, putting his tiny fists over his eyes.

"You are such a fool, b-being kind to a f-f-frost giant...and not even–" Do not cry, Thor.

"As if it makes a d-difference. A r-runt cannot be _anything_ but d-d-d–" Do _not_ cry, now.

When the boy stopped talking, and dissolved into sobs that sounded far too painful and desperate, Thor gave up and wept with him.

Two little boys, huddled together, crying in a lonely cave in the middle of an icy land.

Eventually, the sobs died down, and they each cleaned their faces and tears with melted snow. Thor's face felt puffy and swollen, but his heart was much lighter. The boy sniffed and looked at him from behind the clothes he was still holding.

"W-Why were _you_ crying?" 

"I do not know" Thor laughed, embarrassed. He scratched his head. "Mother always said that, when I was a babe, whenever she cried I would cry too" he smiled softly, but then remembered talking about his mother could be insensitive in front of the boy. Looking at him, however, he did not seem offended, he simply hummed with interest, paused for a few seconds, and started putting the yellow tunic on. 

Thor thought he could catch a 'thank you' somewhere inside the fabric. He smiled.

"Norns, these clothes are heavenly" the boy said, sighing happily, fully dressed. Thor could not help but think he looked like an Asgardian, if you ignored the color, of course. It was weird, so weird.

"I am glad you like them" Thor said truthfully. The boy averted his eyes. Speaking of which...

"Hey, may I ask you a question?"

"You just did"

"Ha-ha. You know what I meant"

"Do I?"

"Will you tell me your name?"

The boy stopped his rummaging through the bag.

"Why?"

"I cannot keep calling you 'boy' in my head forever"

"Hm. You make it sound like I am much younger"

"But you are, are you not?"

"Only a hundred years old younger than you. It is not much" he seemed defensive about the topic, for some reason. Thor decided to change subjects.

"So will you?"

"Will I what?" He was doing this on purpose, was he not? Annoying boy.

"Your name. Tell me your name"

"...You are awfully persistent, did you know?"

Thor chuckled.

"So I have been told"

They fell into a comfortable silence after that, but Thor could not help being a bit disappointed at the other's mutism. Oh, well, let him have his secrets, his mom always said to respect people's privacy.

And apparently, not pushing was the right thing to do, because then–

"Loki" he whispered so low Thor almost missed it.

He smiled.

\-------------------------------

Some days later, at night, Frigga was able to slip away for some minutes, so she came to have dinner with Thor. They made idle chat while the cooks served the food, and Thor, upon being asked why no guards had seen him in the past few days, guiltily crafted a lie about playing with a friend, to justify his disappearance all day. Frigga's eyebrows lowered, and Thor realized with rising panic that he had to make a believable story, lest his sharp mother noticed the holes. She knew Thor best, after all, and he had absolutely zero desire to lie to her, but it could not be helped. He had to protect his new friend, and while he refused to believe his sweet mother would do anything to harm him, he was still very jittery and weak, and he was a _frost giant,_ and maybe if he tattled his mother would tell something to his father, and there was not telling what he would do then.   
Besides, he was so... _tiny_. Thor grimaced. Loki would kick him if he new he was referring to him in such a way, but it was true. He was tiny and cute–when he was not talking, at least–and Thor felt the inexplicable urge to _defend_ and _protect_. And a good king never broke his promises, so Thor would stick to them. No matter what. So, with a mental apology, he started his story. If he twisted some things it would be fine, right? Finn said the best lies came from the truth, whatever that meant. Perhaps if he left out the big details...?

"Well, the truth is..." he took a deep breath.

"I...I made a new friend a few days ago...a boy"

Frigga's tired eyes lit up.

"Did you? That is wonderful, love. What is his name?"

...Should he? It was not as his name would betray his identity.

"Loki"

His mother did a double take.

"Loki?"

"...Yes?" Please do not let this be a mistake.

"Hmm." What was that supposed to mean?! Thor was panicking.

"M-Mother? Is...something wrong?"

"Nothing love, just...Loki is a... _curious_ name for a child to have"

"How so?"

"Mm. Perhaps not 'curious'. More...sad." Thor blinked. Huh?

"What...does it mean?"

Frigga's eyes locked into his, warm and pensive, her hands laced delicately beneath her chin. She seemed to be considering her words carefully.

"I do not think it is valuable for you to know the meaning. However...I shall say that it is a name that carries dark, lonely meanings. No child should bear that name"

Thor felt like he was frozen, and suddenly he realized what this meant. He crushed the fork in his hand. _That awful, **rotten** king–_

"Love?" Frigga's concerned question brought him back to earth. Focus, Thor, be 'cool'.

"Um...that makes sense. Loki said his parents were...not the best" Understatement of the century. "And he is always on his own" Frigga nodded sadly, understanding and ever-kind.

"Sometimes, for a person that lives a lonely life, a friend can be the best gift" she said. Thor grinned. So he was doing things right!

"That is what I am hoping. Thank you, mother" he smiled. Frigga returned it.

"You should invite him to join you when you play with Finn and the others, it might help him open up" she suggested. Thor laughed nervously.

"I do not think that is a good idea...he, he is quite shy. He barely talks" Thor was constructing a false image about Loki here, and he could almost feel those judging red eyes scorching his back. Still, it was necessary.

A couple of questions later, and Thor had to go to bed. He was not as angry about it anymore, since it meant more sleep, which he needed if he was to escape to see Loki in the morning. Thor collapsed on the bed and closed his eyes. Stressful as it was, he was glad things turned out this way. Loki needed a friend, so Thor would provide.

_And you? What do you need?_

Thor could not answer. He was already asleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Loki: *sighs* This cave is so cold and lonely...I don't even have any clothes.  
> Thor, pulling the entire Asgardian wardrobe from his bag: You rang?


	4. Turn It 'Round

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So sorry for the delay! Enjoy!

It became a routine.

Thor would wake up early, make an excuse to the guards, and go to Jötunheim. There he would spend time with Loki, reading or talking, since he could not walk a lot without getting tired yet. Thor got to know him better, and, getting past the initial awkwardness, Loki was actually very fun to be with. He was cunning and smart, and always had a witty answer for everything. They made playful banter and Loki made doubtful comments when they read stories, sometimes sending Thor into a fit of giggling. Thor taught him history and the flora and fauna of Asgard, and Loki sometimes shared interesting facts about Jötunheim, when he was in the mood.   
It was different to be with Loki than any of his friends, and not because of his race. Loki spoke to him like he was an _equal_ , not like he was a prince and needed to be coddled. Perhaps because he had been royalty as well. He was also absolutely _merciless_ when they played board games. Thor had been surprised when he had lost–for the first time–at chess. Granted, Mother and Father always won against him, but they did not count! When Thor, frustrated, had asked if Loki had cheated, he had looked at him with something akin to pity.

"They all have been _letting_ you win, oaf. You are the prince, they _have_ to lose"

And didn't _that_ sting. Thor had wilted, realizing his abilities were no higher than that of an apprentice, but Loki had said,

"If you want to learn, I will teach you. Be prepared to lose a lot, though" he warned.

That was another thing. Loki came off as serious and rude sometimes, but he was kind in his own way too. He had a sense of humor–often directed at Thor–and smiled at some of his jokes, small and quiet. Soon, Thor was itching to get _into_ bed, and itching for the morning to come, because then he could go see Loki faster. He had a new friend now, and it felt much different from his (admittedly forgotten) Asgardian friends. He would dare say it felt _better_ , but then he felt guilty of having abandoned his other group, so he did not like to think about it much. No matter, Loki needed him more.

_(And, realizing his days felt_ _a little less lonely, maybe Thor needed Loki too)_

As the days passed, and Thor brought food in a regular basis (Loki insisted he did not need any more furniture), Loki began to look healthier and more lively. His skin turned a darker shade, not the pale, sickly blue it was before, and his eyes shone crimson. They started going outside more, testing Loki's capabilities and exercising his legs, because, apparently, he had been hiding in that cave longer that Thor had thought. One of those days, snowy and relaxed, was the day he first heard Loki laugh.

\----ooo----

"But are you sure?" Thor had asked for the umpteenth time.

Loki dug his nails into Thor's shoulders. " _Yes_ , Thor, I am sure" 

They had been passing their time inside the cave, playing board games and reading, but Loki had gotten restless and had apparently deemed it safe enough to go outside for a bit, just in front of the cave. Thor had argued that Loki was still weak, and should not be straining himself, and Loki had stood up and walked out of pure spite, which was kind of impressive, up until he fell on his face. Then Thor had made the fatal mistake of comparing Loki to a newborn deer. Loki, evidently, did not know what a deer was, but had noticed the tone of his words–again, impressive–and had beat him upside his head repeatedly with the _very_ _heavy_ tome of Asgard's Fantastical Creatures. Two minutes and an apology thorn orange later, they tried again, this time, with Loki leaning on Thor, his thin arm over his shoulders. Which brought them to their current predicament.

Loki was breathing a bit heavily, which worried Thor, but he seemed to have enough energy to snap witty responses back at him, so he was not _overly_ concerned. Still, he was glad to see the food he had managed to sneak was doing its job. He was only sorry he could not bring more. He could only get away with a certain amount of food, for Thor had a big stomach, but not _that_ big.

They found a big rock a few meters from their cave, and Thor watched as– _I am not a cripple, oaf!_–Loki sat with a quiet sigh, visibly relieved. Thor sat down next to him, and shivered. He pulled his coat a little closer to himself. It was just so _cold!_  
They sat there for a few minutes, watching the snow fall, and the blonde started making vague shapes with snow absently. Loki eyed his hands. 

Thor waited. And in three, two, one...

"What are you doing?"

 _There it is_. Loki was, undoubtedly, very curious as well. Thor had noticed, from the endless string of questions he asked when they read.

_But what is a sunflower?  
_

_How did they get there so fast?  
He was hurt a day before and now he is fine? Unbelievable.   
I do not think he knows how to do that spell.   
Why? _ _Why, **why?**_

"I do not know, a star, I suppose" Loki stared at the clump of snow with disdain.

"If you mean to say your 'star' has had three pints of ale and gotten trampled by a horse, then sure"

Thor frowned, his cheeks blushing.

"We do not get a lot of snow on Asgard"

"Such a shame" Loki cooed, condescending "And I do not suppose you have worked with clay?"

Thor had, in fact, never worked with clay. It was another 'pointless' activity he did not see as useful. Now he was regretting it.

He _did_ know how to make snow balls, though.

Loki gasped as a cold lump of snow slid down his cheek. Then he met Thor's blazing eyes with his.

"Oh, is _that_ what you want to do?" he challenged.

"I do not know, you cannot run, can you? It hardly seems fair like that" Thor smugly said.

"Well, _mighty Thor_ , I do not need to _run_ to bury you in snow" Loki's hands and the surrounding snow was covered in a faint green light, and Thor smiled widely, dancing away from the upcoming projectiles.

That gave birth to the most _intense_ snow fight Thor had ever been in.

Afterwards, tired and soaked to the bone, they had both slid down to the ground, panting, and Loki had started instructing Thor–which was the same as bossing him around–on how to make a decent snow figure. Thor had tried, really, but the snow would just not mold to what he wanted it to be, and he ended up with the head of their figure falling on _his_ head. Sputtering, he had resurfaced, golden hair wet, eyes wide. He had prepared himself for Loki's inevitable mocking, but instead, he had heard–

_"pffft–hahahahah!"_

And Loki had laughed. 

It was amazing. His laughter seemed to brighten up the gray fields they were in, and was filled with bursts of giggles and little wheezing sounds. Thor was struck dumb, staring at Loki clutching his stomach, and, strangely enough, did not feel the usual pang of annoyance he felt when the others laughed at his expense. _(When had he started referring to his Asgardian friends as 'the others'?)_

Once Loki calmed down, wiping tears from his red eyes, he had looked at him with a look he could not quite decipher.

"You oaf. Try again" his words were coated in a soft, weird tone.

And maybe it was wishful thinking, but it sounded an awful lot like fondness.

\----ooo----

All in all, Loki was very special, and Thor had almost forgotten he was actually supposed to study, until his parents confronted him about it.

Thor had been eating at the table on his own like normal, when a guard hat told him his parents could spare a few minutes of their time and wanted to speak with him. Thor merely nodded, half-hearing him, as he was absorbed drawing a royal battle strategy as best he could _(This time he would win, he was sure. He would wipe that smug grin off Loki's face–)_. The guard seemed put off by his casualness. Thor understood. He would usually be more exited to see his parents, even for a few minutes, but lately he found being with Loki dampened his feelings of loneliness until he could not feel them anymore.  
When he was five hundred, Thor would beg and beg to have a younger sibling, because he felt incredibly sad every time his parents had to leave. He would cling to them and cry, refusing to go into the caretaker's arms, or the nursery. But his parents always had to leave, and Frigga had told him sadly that she could not have any more children, that having him alone had been very difficult, and other similar things. He had grown out of the sadness of the absence of his parents, and now...he might have had his wish of a sibling fulfilled as well, Thor thought with a little smile.

He was adding the finishing touches to his cunning strategy, when Odin and Frigga had entered the room. Thor looked up with a smile, that quickly dimmed as he regarded their expressions. They were very serious. Looking at _him_ with that face. His first thought was, _did they find out about Loki?_ The second was, _Had something bad happened?_ And the third...well, he never got to the third, because his mind decided to cease working in that very instant.

The king and queen sat at the table, silent servants sliding their plates into place and hurrying away. They positioned themselves so they were on opposite sides of the table, and Thor had taken the seat at the end of it, so he felt kind of trapped. He waited with bated breath for them to talk, wrinkling the paper in his hand.

"Thor..." his father began.

"Would you like to tell us why you have been skipping all of your classes?"

Of all the things Thor was expecting, this had not been it. He released a breath. Okay, not that serious then– _wait_. If his parents decided he was falling behind in his studies, they might ban him from leaving the palace, which meant he would not be able to see Loki, which meant Loki would be _mad_ at him for leaving without an explanation– _and!_ and, Thor would not be there to feed him anymore! Loki would starve and _die all because Thor was failing his classes!_

 _Calm down, you moron_. _Think_. A voice that sounded suspiciously like Loki hissed in his mind. He could get out of this. He had to.

"Lord Kare told us you have not been showing up at _all_ these past few weeks. You were not seen at the training grounds either, and when asked, Sif said she had not heard of you" his father's grave voice grated his ears.

"If you are to be king, son, you have to apply to your studies. Being talented in the art of swords is not the only attribute a prince should have"

"We know you have a hard time studying, but you need to make an effort, for you, for us, and for Asgard"

"What do you have to say for yourself?"

Thor traced the lines of his wooden mug.

"I say Lord Kare is a liar"

His parents seemed stunned.

"Now, Thor, that disrespect is–"

"It is _true_ , mother! He says I do not assist to his classes, and it is the truth, but he has not told you the reason _why_ I do it"

Odin watched him with that all-seeing eye.

"And what might that reason be?"

Thor took a deep breath.

"He is not a tutor. He is always _sleeping_ , snoring on the couch or on the table, before giving me any assignments, and when he does, he comes up with stupid things about the weaponry used by Asgardians or what do I think about economic depression in other realms–even things he has not taught me yet!"

"I tried to stay the first few times, father, I really did. It is true that studying is not my favorite thing, but if I am not going to learn anything, why bother showing up?

Their parents took in his words. Thor hoped he had won this fight. 

"Why had you not told us about this matter?" Odin asked slowly, his voice less hard.

Thor looked away.

"...You are very busy, I know. With the upcoming... _agreement_ , with J-Jötunheim, and all" he tripped a little on the name.

"I did not want put any more strain on you" It was technically the truth, but Thor felt guilty nonetheless. He hated lying.

"Oh, my love. It is alright. We will speak with him"

"You should have told us sooner, if that was the case" Odin told him sternly, before relaxing and resting his hand on Thor's head, a ghost of a smile on his face. "But I thank you for thinking of us, my son"

Thor beamed.

"Well then my love, you shall be happy to know Master Runar has recovered from his cold, and will be available to give you classes again starting tomorrow"

_What._

"W-That fast?" Thor could not believe it.

"Yes, you will be–"

 _"No!"_ Thor slammed his hands on the table. His parents froze. They even stopped eating.

"...No?" Frigga repeated.

Norns, fix it, fix it!

"C-Could we start the day _after_ tomorrow? Please?"

Odin seemed to scrutinize him with his one eye, and Thor wished he would stop. He sighed, and looked sheepishly at his mother. 

"It is...I need to tell my friend I will not be able to visit him anymore" 

Frigga's face turned understanding, as did Odin's. Thor supposed his mother had told him about it.

"Loki, you mean?" she asked, with just a hint of humor.

Thor's cheeks darkened slightly. Okay, time to act, and bury his guilt in the deepest parts of the ocean.

"Yes...I just. I promised I would be there for him, because he does not have any friends, and his parents do not really care about him" he looked down.

"He always looks so happy to see me, and we have fun together" he needed his eyes to water. Think about something sad, come on. The memory of Loki crying that one time did it. That was easy. Thor's eyes watered.

"It is just...I do not know what will happen to him if I leave. I do want to study, but...Loki is important too" he sniffed, for effect.

A tense few seconds passed.

Had he done it? Had they believed him?

"Thor..."

\----------------------------------------

"Alright, spit it out" Loki crossed his arms.

"Huh?"

They were playing chess in their cave, the day after the conversation with his parents. Thor was feeling gloomy from their response, but he supposed it was the best he was going to get. Evidently, Loki had noticed his mood, and he knocked his queen a little harder than necessary.

"You suck at chess, but you are usually not _this_ easy to beat. What happened?" Was he...worried? 

Thor sighed, forgetting the game entirely.

"Loki, I...I am sorry"

Loki tensed.

"...What for?"

"I...I am not going to be able to come anymore...at least not _all_ day" he began. That was the deal his parents gave him. The best he could get. He had to study in the mornings, all morning, and, if he did good at his classes, then he was free to go in the afternoon. It was not ideal, but it would have to do. Thor waited for a while, and then he heard a cold,

"Oh. I see"

He looked up. Loki was staring at him, his eyes icy and hard. Thor had a bad feeling.

"What?"

"Nothing. I understand. Please, go ahead" his voice dropped, and he started to get up.

"Loki–why, I was not finished–"

"No. I know. You have things to do. You are Asgard's prince, of course you do"

Thor felt like he was slipping, losing his grasp above a dark abyss.

"It is only going to be in the mornings!" he shouted, trying to hold on.

"And then in the afternoon, and then only two days a week, and then you are not going to show up here anymore!" Loki shouted back.

"That is not true!"

"It does not matter if it is not. You will eventually forget about all... _this_ , whatever we have been doing" he started to back up.

"Of course, you cannot hang out with a _frost giant_. No one ever does" the words dripped with venom.

"You are not _just_ a frost giant! You are my friend!" Thor stood up as well, raising his hands in a placating manner.

"You cannot have a _monster_ for a friend, Thor" he snorted. "You are too important, to _perfect_. They cannot afford to have you here wasting time"

"You are important too Loki, that was the whole reason I _begged_ my parents to let me come see you in the afternoons!" Now he was getting frustrated too.

"Oh, how gracious of you. Should I kneel? Pay my thanks to the mighty Thor?" he bowed, mockingly. Thor was shocked. He did not know words could hurt so much.

"Why are you being like this? Even after I helped you!"

"So know what? I owe you my life?"

"As a matter of fact, you do! I do not know why you are being so selfish!"

"Ah, spare me the foolishness of an Asgardian!"

"You are the fool!"

"I am smarter than you are! Which shows how I understand the situation and you do not!"

"You do not understand! You just started attacking me out of nowhere! I thought we were friends!"

"I–"

"And it is not even because you are mad at _me_ , it is like you are bitter because I am leaving! Well guess what, I actually have a life outside of you!"

"Oh, poor little Thor, all bundled up in his castle, surrounded by worries" Loki rolled his eyes.

"You know nothing of my life!"

"And you know _nothing_ of mine!"

"Loki, stop! Honestly, it is like your scared of me abandoning you–!"

Loki's cheeks darkened, and the freezing air crackled with barely restrained magic.

" _I do not care!_ Go!" he shouted, louder than Thor had ever heard him, making the cave rattle, and pushed him hard, making him stumble back a few steps.

" _Go!_ Take your chess, and your books, and your stupid toys!" he threw the chess board at him, missing by a few inches. Thor stumbled back to dodge the book hurled at him next.

"Resorting to violence! Very mature, Loki! Guess you _are_ just a kid!" Thor shot at him, feeling like he was way older than eight hundred.

Loki's eyes glistened.

_"Shut up!"_

"I do not even care what you do anymore–!"

"Nor do I!"

Thor was outside now, snow falling gently on his hair. It seemed the weather was too calm, compared with the storm between the two boys.

"Fine! I will leave you alone, if you want it so much! Perhaps I will not return at _all!"_

"Fine by me, I will finally be rid of such a _burden!"_ Thor flinched.

He stood at the edge of the portal, Loki looking up at him, fists shaking. Thor felt angry. Angry, and confused, and hurt. But mostly the first one.

"You know what Loki? If you are going to be like this, I wish I had never come here at all." He said, deadly quiet.

Loki swallowed. His eyes wavered for a moment before he blinked, leaving them devoid of emotion. His voice was smooth and did not stutter.

"Leave, then. Let the snow finish the job. That way you can say you finally killed a Jötun"

Thor's lip wobbled, and he turned around harshly, jumping through the portal.

.

.

.

He did not get any sleep that night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Loki: Hey Thor how you doing  
> Thor: Yeah, so I'm gonna be late for like an hour or so next week, but don't worry–  
> Loki: *getting flashbacks* Peace was never an option


	5. Learn to Hide

Thor spend the following days in a haze.

He could not cope with everything that had happened, so he ignored it all. He ignored how everything had gone south so fast. He ignored the hurtful words he had said, and the ones he had heard. He ignored it all, and applied himself fully into his studies, hoping every thought would just disappear. The ink swirled across the page, the movement lazy and hypnotic. Thor had met with master Runar again, who had recovered fully, and had immediately began his lessons. He had thought it a good chance to get rid of his thoughts. But it seemed more difficult than he had thought.

Of course, he improved by leaps and bounds in his studies, was able to remember more stories, built battle strategies that might actually have a chance, and everything, except for his magic, was at top notch. Master Runar was very proud of him.

Thor accepted the compliments with an empty smile and pretended it was not thanks to Loki that he had improved.

Which was very hard, indeed, when everything reminded him of Loki. He often caught himself looking at some book, thinking the boy would like it, or, when he ate in his room, he brought extra food with him out of habit, even though no one was there. Every time that happened, Thor would feel his eyes water, and turned to look at something else, or do things that would hopefully take his mind off their fight. People had noticed he was being more quiet than usual, more serious. Several maids had asked him if he was feeling well, and his sword instructors were more lenient in their training sessions. They had apparently all concluded that he was coming down with something. A cold perhaps. Thor let them think. It was hardly his business.

He was just glad his parents had managed to contact...J-Jötunheim so they were not able to see him at all.

Unfortunately, master Runar was a very perceptive man.

After Thor sighed mournfully for the fifth time that day, doodling absently in his pages after ending that day's lesson, master Runar shook his head and sat down next to him. He was a slim man, dark haired and with a strong jaw. His dark eyes searched his face with concern, and he put a hand on his shoulder.

"My prince. I know I have said so already, but, _please_ , tell me what is wrong" he said sincerely. "You have not been yourself lately, and it concerns me. I want to help you" 

Thor understood his worry, and accepted it, as it was not fake like most of the servants of the castle, asking after his health because he was the only heir, and they could not afford him to be hurt in any way. Master Runar had been there with him ever since he was old enough to be taught how to read and write, as one of Odin's most trusted men and permanent tutor for Thor, and had shamelessly changed his diapers and fed him his bottle when he was a toddler. He was his tutor, but, at the same time, he was so much more. 

And Thor was tired of pretending. Who better to tell his worries to than master Runar?

"I just...I do not know what to do" he whispered, angry tears coming to his eyes. Master Runar's eyes widened, and he hurried to put his arms around him. Thor's lip wobbled. Do _not_ cry, stupid! It was not worth crying for! However, his body did not listen, and his cheeks were quickly dampening with tears. The man rubbed his back, shushing him gently.

"Do not cry, my prince. It is alright. I am sure that, whatever it is, we shall be able to solve it"

"No! It is not alright!" Thor wailed, the events of that day finally catching up to him. Oh, Norns, the things Loki had said! The things _he_ had said!

"There, there. Now, why would it not be?"

" _Because!!_ I-I only wanted to help him, you know?! I tried to explain it was not what he thought it was, but he would not listen!" Thor hiccuped and attempted to explain the problem, but his stuttering and tears made it hard to get anything across. However, he could not stop now that the dam had fallen.

"He-He told me to leave! He said s-s-such _horrible_ things and threw things at me! H-H-He insulted me, and told me I should just _never_ come back!" his eyes widened.

"No...No, I was the one who said I would not come back! Norns, why did I say that?!" he gripped his hair harshly. Master Runar took hold of his hands and put them securely in his lap.

"My prince–"

_"Loki, stop! Honestly, it is like your scared of me abandoning you–!"_

_Loki's cheeks darkened, and the freezing air crackled with barely restrained magic._

_"I do not care! Go!" he shouted, louder than Thor had ever heard him, making the cave rattle, and pushed him hard, making him stumble back a few steps._

Oh _._

_Oh._

Thor's breath stuttered. How could he have been so utterly _foolish!_ Of _course_ Loki would be...!

"And h-he has been so lonely, too! He was just sc-scared of me l-l-leaving!" his tears did not seem to stop.

"I-I-I am such a stupid–g-good for _nothing_ – _!"_ Master Runar's eyes darkened.

"W-What is going to happen to him now?! I–" the dark-haired man's hand slapped over his mouth, uncaring of the tears and snot, effectively cutting off his sentence.

"Now, my prince, why would you say such horrible things about yourself?" he asked sternly.

"I-It is _true!_ I should have known! I should have known he was scared, and still I–"

Master Runar patted his head softly, his sad, dark eyes looking down at him.

"Breathe, my prince" he commanded gently. Thor tried, gulping mouthful after mouthful of air as if he was drowning on land. His tutor's big hand rubbing circles on his back helped some, and within a few minutes his full blown crying dissolved into unhappy hiccups. Thor took a shaky breath, rubbing his red eyes tiredly. All that distress left him drained.

Content with his breathing, master Runar smiled at him. After a few moments, Thor retuned it, even if he did not feel like smiling very much.

"Good. Now that you have calmed down, would you please tell me what happened?"

Thor did. He told him the same thing he had told Frigga, that he had met a shy, lonely boy, and they had become friends. That his parents did not want him. That they played every day. 

He told them about his fight.

"I told him I would not be able to visit him as much because of my classes, but...he got mad" Thor fidgeted.

"He started yelling, telling me to leave...he said some... _things_ " his voice wobbled "And I said some things too. But now I realize he was simply scared of me abandoning him, like his parents" saying the last words, he realized what he had said, and paled. Master Runar frowned.

"Abandoned?"

"I meant–his parents never pay any attention to him, so he feels like he was abandoned. Sometimes they promise him things and do not keep their word, so I think he thought I would leave too" he hastily lied. He was ashamed to admit that, after spending so much time with Loki, his lies had improved greatly, although the younger remained the better liar. He had to cover it up, though. His parents, sadly, could not do anything for _every_ neglected children that was in Asgard, however few they were, but _abandonment_ was another issue entirely. It would have been fine, except, of course, the aforementioned child was _blue_.

"And...that is about it" he finished.

Master Runar looked pensive.

"Well..." he started, slowly "If you ask what I think, my prince..."

"You both said things you regret. It is actually very normal for such a child to lash out. Often times fear can become rage. I would think he was hurt by his parents' neglect, even if he denies it" Loki did that. He said he did not care, that Jötunheim could fall, but underneath, if master Runar was right, he was hurt.

"But why did he yell at _me?_ I did not do anything" Thor grumbled.

He hummed.

"Perhaps...perhaps he was trying to get you to leave by his own means, quickly and definitely" he mused. Thor tilted his head. What did that mean?

"If he made you leave, then it would be like he had won. _You_ did not leave _him_ , _he_ threw you out. I would think he was tired of losing"

Loki lost his home, his parents' love, his birthright...but, did he lose it if he never had it? This was hard to understand, Thor thought. Still, he should try, for Loki. But Thor was tired, and he wanted solutions, not analysis. 

"How do I make it better? How do we become friends again?"

"You apologize. What he said was not okay, and what you said was not okay either, but you have to do your part and say sorry. If he is a true friend, he will not hold it against you and he will apologize" master Runar looked at him. Thor's head was bobbing up and down as he tried to stay awake.

"I suggest you do it soon, though. You need to heal your wounds early, before they become infected. Things might be awkward for a while, but you will be able to go to sleep with a clear conscience, whatever the outcome is" Oh, Thor understood he had to apologize, but nothing more.

...

Apologize soon, huh? Almost three days had gone by. If he wanted to make amends, he had to go now.

But...

Master Runar's voice was so relaxing...and he was worn out...

"Go in the morning. Do not worry, you are relieved from your classes tomorrow"

"Th'k you" he mumbled against his tunic. 

"Anytime, my prince" 

\---------------------------------------

With renewed determination, Thor entered their cave as if he was going on a quest.

"Loki? It is I, Thor!" he called out.

No one answered for some long seconds, and Thor was starting to worry, but then,

 _"...Oaf?"_ a disbelieving question echoed in the cave, whispered and furtive, and after a few moments, Loki's familiar red eyes peeked out from behind the big rock.

Thor sighed in relief. Part of him believed Loki would not be there anymore. Selfishly, he was glad he had nowhere to go but the cave.

Thor went around the rock. Loki, thank the Norns, was not too worse for wear. The tunic, boots and trousers he wore were a little dirty and wet with melted snow, but his face still had the round cheeks Thor's food had achieved.

The two kids looked at each other with relief on their faces, before startling, and turning away awkwardly.

Loki broke the silence.

"Have you forgotten something?" he asked, perhaps meaning to be sarcastic and cold, but coming off as tentative and insecure. Thor ached to hear it.

_You need to heal your wounds early, before they become infected.  
_

Easier said than done.

"No. I...I came to see you" Thor winced at his own voice.

Loki looked at him with those red eyes. 

"You do not need to lie. It is fine if you have forgotten something. I can give it to you"

"I am not lying!"

"Why else would you be here on your own?" Loki's bitter tone grated on Thor's nerves. Why must he be so difficult?

"To _talk_ to you, Loki!" he snapped, coming to crouch in front of him with one brusque motion. Shocked, he watched as Loki flinched.

"Loki...?"

"Well, congratulations, you are talking to me, so can you leave now?" he bit out. Thor tried not to let him get to his head. He did not want another fight, even if Loki was being a brat.

_Often times fear can become rage.  
_

But why would he be afraid of _Thor?_ That made no sense. Loki could very well smash him against the snow with his magic. By all means, _Thor_ should be the one afraid of _Loki_. Not that he was, certainly. Over time, Loki had become more than a friend. More than a best friend, even. He had become like a _brother_. It was scary, thinking that way about the 'enemy'. But, to be fair, Thor had not considered Loki an enemy for a long time. So this was fine. Siblings fought all the time, did they not?

Thor took a deep breath, and tried to make his voice as soft as possible. Loki was scared. He was small, and alone and scared, and Thor felt that wave of protectiveness inside him again.

"No, Loki. I came here...I came here to apologize"

Loki twitched.

"Apologize? What could the golden prince of Asgard have done to apologize to _me?_ "

"I apologize for scaring you"

The Jotün snapped his head up. Thor could practically _sense_ the defensive anger rolling off Loki, so he hurried with his apology. He had the impression that perhaps no one had apologized to him before.

"You thought I would leave, so you yelled at me" he scrambled to say, remembering master Runar's words.

"You yelled at me, and what you said...It hurt me. I would have thought you knew me better than that" Thor slid his eyes from Loki's face, suddenly unable to look at him.

"But...I said bad things too. I hurt you too. So, I am sorry, Loki. I should have known better as well"

"I like you, you know? You are my best friend, actually. I come here because I wish to come, not because someone made me, or out of pity"

"And I know you are lonely here. But, these past days, I have been lonely too" his cheeks felt red, and it was not because of the cold.

"I missed you. My parents work all day, and the friends I have in Asgard treat me like the _prince_ , not like Thor. They let me win, they let me choose... It is not fun that way"

Thor dared to meet Loki's eyes. He did not know what he was doing, he was just talking about whatever came to his head. However, perhaps he was on the right path, because Loki was listening.

"But you treat me like a _friend_ , not royalty. You do not hesitate to win when you can, and you teach me lots of interesting things" he found himself smiling softly.

"I...I do not want our friendship to end because of this fight. It is true I will not be able to come in the mornings, but in the afternoon I _will_ be here. I will not leave you, Loki"

Loki lowered his head, his black bangs hiding his eyes.

"You cannot promise that, Thor"

"I can! I would not do that to you, Loki! We are friends, and friends do not abandon each other!"

" _Parents_ do not abandon their children either, and yet here I am!" he yelled hoarsely.

"And friends are just fickle beings who turn their backs on you sooner or later" Loki's fist crunched a fistful of ice.

"Is that really what you think of me?" Thor asked quietly, feeling hurt.

Loki did not answer immediately.

"...I do not know. All I know is that everyone leaves. Why should you be any different?" his voice had lost all fire, ringing hollow like their cave.

Thor pressed his lips together. Should he? What if Loki...No. No more doubts, no more fear. Loki needed him, so he would be there for him. It was as simple as that.

"Then...what about being brothers instead?" he asked tentatively.

Loki's eyes widened, and his mouth hung open in surprise. It seemed he was, for the first time, at a loss for words.

Thor scooted closer.

"You say friends can leave when they want, but brothers go beyond that. They care for each other, and protect, and play. And they _never_ leave" Thor was just saying what he imagined brothers would be like, as he never had one, but as he looked at Loki, who seemed so lost and tiny in the middle of all that snow, he realized he wanted _this_. He wanted a brother, and not just _any_ brother. He wanted Loki. With his clever words, and his bleak look on life. With his bubbly laughter and his impressive magic. With his blue skin and red eyes. He wanted Loki to be his brother.

So Thor ignored the frantic voice in his head telling him this was dangerous, leaned forward, and engulfed Loki in a hug.

He had never hugged Loki before, he realized.

He was cold. Not frostbite cold, but ice cold. He was also tense, as tense as a bow string, but Thor held on determinedly, unwilling to let him go until it was necessary. Aside from the chilly skin and still form, though, hugging Loki was like hugging any other Asgardian. Thor buried his face in Loki's shoulder, and smelled fresh snow, pine, and the faint tingle of magic. It was a familiar smell.  
Suddenly, he was assaulted with a wave of affection for the Jotün boy, and he held him even tighter. How could _anyone_ abandon someone like him?

"I will never leave you, brother" he whispered, getting choked up for some reason. But it felt right. It felt like a hole he did not even know he had was filled at last.

_(Up in the highest peaks of the snowy mountains, the Norns cheered and celebrated. The long awaited reunion had finally come to pass. Fate had not missed. She never did)_

Loki's breath hitched. His arms wrapped around Thor's torso hesitantly at first, and then he squeezed hard. He hid his head in Thor's chest, shaking it as if saying no.

"Stupid oaf...Stupid, _stupid_ " he mumbled, but his voice was watery too. "I...I am sorry, too. I did not mean any of my words. I was just...scared you would leave...like everyone else"

"To be honest, I..." he swallowed. "I _am_ glad I met you, b-b...Brother" the last part was nearly inaudible, but it made Thor's heart soar.

They stayed like that for some time, telling the other what they had been up to in the past few days. Apologies were exchanged, titles were tried, and the cave was reorganized.

Thor knew master Runar had said things would be awkward for a while, but it felt like nothing had changed, except they smiled a little brighter, leaned towards each other, and enjoyed the rest of the day. Perhaps it was the same as a broken bone. Once it healed, it healed back stronger. 

Thor would not have it any other way.

.

.

.

.

"...So now that we are good. Will you help me with my magic?"

A sigh.

"Bring me thorn orange pie and I will think about it"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thor: *sad noises*  
> Master Runar: *slam* not on my watch! *slam* nOT ON MY WATCH!  
> \----  
> Thor: loki, you're so smart and cool and talented and i'm sorry i'm an idiot  
> Loki: wow, that's kinda nice of you to say–  
> Thor: so, i need a favor  
> Loki: –and whoop, there it is.


	6. Learn to Pounce

Once their differences were smoothed over, Thor stopped, in Sif's words, 'being miserable', and was able to focus better on his classes, to master Runar's delight. He was getting better at history and war theory, but his magic was lacking. Mother had told him all creatures had magic in them, even tiny little bugs, but honestly Thor was not feeling it.

So that was why he precariously balanced a big batch of thorn orange pie on his hands as he stepped over the snow. In the month he had spent getting to know his brother (and being able to call him that still sent a spark of giddiness through him) he had learned some harsh truths.

Mainly, he learned that a fed Loki was a happy Loki.

"Norns, _yes_ " said boy breathed, upon spotting the warm pie. Jötunheim's cold weather had robbed the pie of its heat, and it was hard and brittle, but Loki did not mind. He never minded the state of the food he was brought.

"Do not forget our deal, brother"

"Yes, yes. Put the dice there" he motioned vaguely with his hand, eyes trained in the tasty snack. Thor barely got to put it down for a second before Loki snatched it and bit down, humming happily as the taste filled his mouth. The golden prince still stood firm with his opinion of the thorn oranges, but somehow Loki liked every variation of food derived from them, so Thor made sure to ask miss Fae to make every dish she knew. She had, of course, raised an eyebrow at his apparently sudden love for the fruit, but had agreed to help enthusiastically.

While Thor put some wooden dice in a somewhat stable rock and took off his gloves, Loki took a piece of pie, stood up, and munched on it absently while he walked back and forth at the entrance of the cave. He waved his hand in a lazy manner, and Thor could see little tendrils of his brother's green magic fading in the air like smoke.

"What are you doing? A spell?"

Loki glanced at him.

"Yes. I am putting a sound barrier in the cave"

Thor blinked. "A sound barrier? But why?"

"Do you really think you can move dice with magic at the first try? Silently?"

Thor pouted. 

"I could _try_ "

"And you would fail" Loki deadpanned "You and I know you tend to get... _frustrated_ when you cannot do something, and new magic users are usually prone to noisy accidents anyway"

Satisfied with the apparent barrier, Loki walked back to the rock and looked over the dice with a critical eye. The jötun had said, upon being told about his classes with master Runar, that the best place to start learning magic if one was not a born magic user was moving things. Thor had excitedly agreed, but had deflated once Loki told him to start with something small, like a leaf or a quill. He had also tried to ask his brother how much he could move, but the other boy had only smirked and drawled a "You would like to know, would you not?" but nothing more, leaving Thor to consider all the possibilities.

Thor balled his fists, stiff with cold, and lightly bounced on his feet.

"Alright, I am ready! How do I start?"

Loki looked amused.

"Stand in front of the dice. Advanced magic users can usually make something move even when they cannot see it, (provided that they know what it _is_ they are moving) but for a beginner, it is best if they keep the object in their line of sight" he explained, surprisingly serious.

Thor nodded, and looked at the dice. They were simple, wooden dice, with black dots on the sides and little chips and cracks from being thrown too hard. Loki came up next to Thor and lifted the blonde's arm facing the dice, the Asgardian feeling the familiar chill that accompanied the shorter boy.

"Now, imagine your arm has strings attached to it, like you are a puppeteer. The dice should be your puppet, and shall move when you move your hand–"

Thor waved his arm quickly, expecting to see the dice flying, nearly whacking Loki in the head.

"Not _yet_ , you oaf! You have not even focused on your magic!" he punched Thor's arm half-heartedly.

"Sorry" Thor scratched his head sheepishly "I am just really excited"

Loki sighed "I know, but keep ignoring my instructions and I will not teach you anything" he threatened, and resumed his position next to him, but sliding back a good two steps.

"The dice shall move when you move your hand. That is the _goal_. But first, we need to do two things: Primarily, we need to help you perceive your own magic. That is quite easy. Secondly, we will work on your will"

"My will?"

"Magic, first and foremost, is connected to _emotions_. It will do what its master tells it to do, even if it is in the heat of the moment"

Thor thought back to the time when he had shaken Loki awake, and he had thrown him into the ground. It was instinct. Like Thor when he blocked a punch without even thinking. Okay, he was following.

"Luckily, you have _plenty_ of will to last until Ragnarök, so we will not have to worry too much about that" Loki snickered.

"Am I supposed to be offended, or flattered?"

"Whatever makes you feel better, brother" he replied, and Thor could not even be mad at him hearing Loki call him that.

In the course of the afternoon, Thor tried to visualize his own magic, which took an embarrassing amount of effort and some weird concentration faces that made Loki giggle. It worked, though. His magic was a pale shade of blue, not like smoke, but like water, or silk, wiggling through his fingers and to the ground of the cave, disappearing before it could ever touch it. It was...weird, to say at least. But not bad. It felt like home, like something so undeniably _his_ that it could never be severed. It was part of his soul, and it curled around him like a blanket, like an extension of his body, like his heart. Thor stood there like a statue, mouth open in surprise. He had never felt like this before. This power.  
Then, Loki carefully extended a little of his smoky magic to meet Thor's, and to his surprise, it reacted with a spurt of light and wiggled higher. It made him think of an excited puppy. Loki's shrunk back briefly, darkening slightly, before reacting the same way. 

"Why do they do that?" Thor asked, wonder in his wide eyes.

"Every being has magic in them, but only _sentient_ beings have magic signatures. It is like...your personal style. My magic is not like _your_ magic, and your magic is not like your mother's, however similar they may be"

"Mother's magic?" Loki shot him a look.

"Do not think I did not notice her spells in the blankets you brought me" 

"Oh...sorry, did it feel weird?"

"Do not be. Her magic was not aimed to hurt, but to calm. It was...nice" he murmured. Thor felt a pang hearing the longing in his voice.

Apparently, Thor's magic had reacted like that because Thor already _knew_ Loki, thus, he recognized his magic signature. And it had brightened because of Thor's feelings towards Loki, which were positive. Thor expressed his concern when he remembered Loki's magic had darkened at first, but Loki assured him it was not _him_ , but an instinctual response many Jötnar forged over time as a result of other people's actions.

"Imagine you have a sparrow and a bluebird in a cage. Every time you get the bluebird out, you pet him and feed him, but every time you get the sparrow out, you pluck out its feathers and hold it roughly. Eventually, whenever you open the bluebird's cage, it will be eager and friendly. However, with the sparrow, it will shrink back and fuss"

Thor was not dumb, and at his brother's implication, his magic wilted and wobbled, and Loki left it at that.

Finally, they reached the stage where he could actually aim to move the dice.

...Which failed horribly. Thor huffed and puffed and attempted to slide the wooden blocks _juuuust_ a bit to the left, but, while his magic was visible to him, it did not do what he wanted. Loki tried to help by giving him 'advice' on his posture or concentration, but because it was...well, _Loki_ , it did not go very well.

"Spread your feet more"

"Relax, oaf, the dice will not bite"

"What are you doing with your hands?"

"You want to _move_ them, Thor, not _shatter_ them"

"Straighten your back!"

In the end, Thor was only able to _shake_ the dice a little, and he was left panting and sweating uncomfortably in Jötunheim's weather, glaring daggers at the wooden blocks. Loki took pity on him and offered him some pastries and meat, and while Thor sulked on the ground, the younger boy summoned a wildfire in his hand so Thor wouldn't catch a cold. Hot body temperature meeting with immediate cold was bad for it, after all. The Asgardian huddled close to the warm fire, and even though Loki assured him it was perfectly normal for him to be this inexperienced, Thor left feeling frustrated and mildly peeved.

\-------------------------------

It was one sunny afternoon when everything started going downhill. 

Thor had been working very hard on his spells, refusing to back down and lose to something as insignificant as _dice_. With master Runar's help, and Loki's guide, he could finally move them an inch to the left, and he had cheered and celebrated when it happened. His parents were pleased by his progress, Loki had been gaining more strength, and life was overall going great.

The prince walked down the streets of Asgard with a bounce in his step, basking in the warm sun and cheery atmosphere of the realm, when a familiar blonde boy cut his path.

"Finn!" Thor greeted with a smile. "It has been a long time!"

Finn had grown a little taller, his pale blonde hair cascading over his chest, but his grey eyes and frown were just the same. He was old enough to start braiding his hair, unlike Thor, whose own hair only barely reached his shoulders. He wished he would grow so he could start experimenting on his hair too. He wondered if Loki knew any hairstyles. Loki knew lots of things, so he must know how to braid hair.

"Thor" Finn greeted back, eyes looking up and down. "Why have you been away so much?" he reproached.

"Away?"

"Yes" He crossed his arms, and Thor somehow felt like he had done something shameful. "Me and the others–"

"The others and I" Thor corrected automatically, immediately feeling mortified after. This was _Finn!_ Still, Loki was a stern teacher, and more than one painful lesson had stuck. Finn raised an eyebrow and huffed.

" _The others and I_ " he repeated mockingly "Have been wondering where you were. You have not played with us in a long time"

Thor shuffled his feet, guilt making him look down. It _had_ been rather awful of him, had it not? Truthfully, Loki had needed him more, still did, and he had lessons to attend in which there was much to learn, but that did not mean he could not make time for his friends. Surprisingly, a spark of irritation broke through, his life did not revolve around Finn, he was not required to be there every day. However, as fast as the spark came, it snuffed out. Finn was right, he should at least have said something. So Thor mustered the courage to from a smile and said, placatingly,

"Well, I have a bit of time before I need to leave again, so let us play now" 

His proposition seemed to please Finn, and he nodded, beckoning him to follow him with his head–and there was that spark of irritation again–heavy boots smashing grass and flowers in their wake.

"Very well, but as punishment, _you_ shall be the Jötun in Hunt The Monster this time" Finn declared. Hunt the monster? Thor's stomach made an uncomfortable twist, but he nodded in acceptance. The taller boy looked surprised at his quick agreement, but did not say anything else.

They arrived at a clearing in the forest, and all their friends were there. Several looked surprised at his presence, and the others smiled and waved.

"Hey guys, guess who decided to join us today!"

They greeted him with open arms, and waved away his apologies of being out of reach for so long. Finn watched it all with his hands on his hips. When everyone was done talking to Thor, he cleared his throat and announced the game, and all the teams formed quickly. It was a bizarre thing, being the monster for the first time in the game, and no one from his team looked happy about it, but he made do. Thor clenched his fists. No matter, he would win, even if he was in the 'losing' team. When Finn shouted the starting of the game and set the hourglass, they all scattered in different directions, and Thor was about to do the same, when he remembered something his brother had told him in one of their strategy games.

_"If you run like a headless chicken, it will not be a challenge for your enemy to defeat you. You need to have a plan, use your resources and head for the prize"_

So Thor called upon his team, and when they crowded around, hidden in the bushes, he explained his plan, all while keeping an ear on Finn's team. They would leave false clues, like footprints and fallen pieces of clothing, guiding the opposite team in circles, while they hid in the trees, in high places where no one would think to look. And they did just that, looking between the branches in silence as Finn's team ran around in confusion, amazed to find the hourglass had ended its journey and no one from their team had been captured. They had won! They actually _won!_ Thor's team praised his strategy, and glowed as they looked at the treasure Finn's team had been obligated to give away. The boy himself was fuming in a corner, glaring daggers at Thor. Thor did not think much of it, his look of contempt was but a pout in comparison to Loki's, and perhaps he was just mad he lost. But then–

"I did not take you for a cheater, Thor"

All conversation ceased. Thor's head snapped up. Finn had an ugly grin on his face.

"What?"

"You cheated. Used dirty tricks and did not even face us once!"

"I did not cheat! It was my plan, and it worked, so we won!" Thor said, feeling hurt.

"And what a plan that was, huh? Using trickery and deception? I expected more from you, _prince_ " he snarled.

Thor's team grew ashamed in the back. Thor bristled. Why was he being so mean?

"It was not cheating! You never said we were not allowed to trick you! Besides, if it works why should I be ashamed? I happen to think it was clever" The prince puffed out his chest.

Finn's face turned red, but he made an effort and rolled his eyes.

"I suppose it was to be expected. You are just a kid, after all. Do not worry, Thor, the man's way of battle will come to you soon enough" he waved a hand like getting rid of a pesky fly, turning his back to Thor. "I will give you the victory, that way you will not feel bad"

Thor gritted his teeth, but turned his back as well. It would do no good to keep talking, and they had _won_ , so he would just grab the treasure and–

"I am impressed, though. You really did enter the Jötun role well"

Thor froze.

"What did you say?" Finn had the gall to look confused.

"Well, they are liars and always resort to cheating to get what they want. You played the role well" he looked pleased at having gotten under Thor's skin. Thor could not believe he had been looking up to this boy for _years_. He was a jerk!

"They are not _all_ like that. I am sure there are some noble warriors in Jötunheim as well" he tried to keep his breathing under control.

"Pfft–Yeah, right. Those illiterate brutes would not now _noble_ if it bit them in their ugly faces"

Thor twitched. "I am sure they are not illiterate. How could they have read the treaty otherwise?"

Finn looked surprised. Thor supposed it was because of his knowledge of the word 'illiterate'. Most kids his age did not know the meaning, but then again, Loki was a thorough teacher. Which made it more unfair!

"Black magic? How should I know? They do not have anything of interest, and their lives are meaningless"

"Take that back!" Their friends, upon picking up on the tension of the fight, started to back up slowly, as Thor and Finn stepped closer to each other.

"They are _enemies_ of Asgard! Why are you defending them?!"

"They may be, but they have families too, they are not _animals_ , we must give them the respect they deserve!" Thor shouted, remembering Odin's words that a mighty opponent deserved respect, in spite of their gender or upbringing.

"Respect? They do not deserve respect. The only thing they deserve is to _die_ " Finn sniffed arrogantly, daring Thor to contradict him.

And Thor?

_"Leave, then. Let the snow finish the job. That way you can say you finally killed a Jötun"_

Thor saw _**red**._

_\-----------------------------------------_

Afterwards, in the healing chambers, Thor was told Finn's nose would, luckily (or unluckily, depending on who you asked) _not_ remain crooked, but would sport a nasty scar for quite some time. The healers had sternly interrogated the two, but Thor refused to speak, and Finn could not without getting hysterical. After a long lecture and a refusal to apologize by both parties, the healers sighed heavily and let them go, not before informing them they would be telling their parents about this. Finn paled, but Thor was not very worried. His parents were very busy, and they would not have time to listen to some little fight Thor had. Finn's parents, on the other hand, would side with Thor, believing Finn to be in the wrong, which he _was_. Benefits of being royalty, he supposed. Thor smiled ruefully.

He looked up. The sun was high in the sky. He might as well pay Loki a visit, tell him all about the fight and listen to him either berate or congratulate him. One could never be sure with him. And perhaps if Thor could sit with his Jötun brother, then he would get rid of this nasty feeling in his chest.

But the feeling did not subside. Instead, it grew in intensity, and choked him until he was trembling with fear.

Because there was nothing in the cave, except for a stain of dark blood in a corner.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thor's magic: *harmony and raindrops* wow this is kinda cool! why does it sound like that??  
> Loki: magic is connected to emotions  
> Thor: i see, then how does yours sound like?  
> Loki's magic: *demonic screeching*.....you don't wanna know.  
> \--------------  
> Finn: *being an asshole in general*  
> Thor: i sleep  
> Finn: *badmouths jötnar, and by default, loki*  
> Thor: So you have chosen death  
> \--------------  
> Me, realizing I'm running out of pre-written chapters: *chuckles* i'm in danger.


	7. Come Here, Folks

While Thor was running, pale and desperate, through the snow, Frigga and Odin were reunited in the throne room, surrounded by nobles and warrior generals, a single piece of battered paper on the table. Odin could almost laugh. Everyone so tense and somber because of an innocent parchment. 

Sadly, it was anything _but_ innocent.

It had arrived this morning, from the deepest, coldest corners of Jötunheim, from Laufey himself. They had all been awaiting a response from the giant king, for his answer would bring either peace or war. Odin had not been hopeful. Hope, he had learnt, was dangerous and often broken repeatedly through matters of reign and politics. He sighed. He had not been hopeful, but he had still felt tired and old like never before when he received the answer.

His general of battle raised his eyes timidly, which felt out of place in his wide shoulders and muscled chest.

"M-My king..."

Odin closed his eye, and made a relaxed but pointed gesture with his hand. The effect was immediate. All the attendants rose from their chairs and scurried away silently, at least until they reached the door. Then, Odin knew, there would be much gossip and worries among them, quickly spreading, in spite of his best efforts, into the population of the castle. But that was not his priority now. He needed to think and calm down.

The parchment mocked him from its place on the table. 

Frigga, his lovely wife, and the only one who did not abandon the room, came and leaned against him, her warmth and tranquility helping to relax him.

His pale blue eye met his wife's warm one, and he knew she understood without words.

"My love, it is alright. Do what you must"

"Asgard does not need more bloodshed" Odin felt ancient, like a tall tree losing its leaves. It was in moments like this when the burden of being king slammed into his chest full force, and he thought of his only son, and how he might bear it.

Thor had been worrying. He was strong, and adventurous, yes, and very quick to side with his friends, which spoke of loyalty, but he was also quick to condemn that which he could not understand, such as other races and realms, viewing them as inferior.

Odin feared he was not as present in his son's life as he would have liked, (he still remembered his son's tears as he clung to his robes as a toddler and begged him _don't go–_ ) but being king consumed one's time like wildfire. Perhaps he had not taught Thor to love and take mercy on someone, instead clouding his head with stories of conquest and glory. Perhaps he had let the nurse's gossip fill his heart. Perhaps, perhaps, perhaps. His wife said there was not a right path in parenting, but Odin felt like he was stumbling down a mountain with his only eye closed. It did not help that Thor was not the most applied scholar. In his lessons he would have learned to talk and strategize, to seek peace when it was possible, and appeal to other people. It was a vain life, yes, but better than war and death. Without the interest in learning, the presence he surrounded himself with–Odin was not sure about that Finn boy–and coddled by everyone on Asgard, Thor was going down a frightening path.

A path Odin had walked before.

But Thor would not be her. _Never_ her. Not his dear boy.

Thankfully, as of late, it seemed Thor had sobered up overnight. Odin, in spite of what he knew Thor thought, watched him closely. Not by being there where he was, physically, but by using an array of various resources. Sometimes he watched with his ravens, following Thor as he ran through the fields, playing. Sometimes he asked the nurses, or warriors, or Runar. Sometimes he even asked Heimdall. He did not make a habit of it, of course. He did not want to feel like he was _spying_ on his son, because Odin knew trust went both ways, even if Thor did not know he was looking.  
So asking his wife was how he knew that his son had made another friend. A boy by the unfortunate name of Loki, casted aside by his parents and living in loneliness. It made his heart soar with pride, knowing his son was keeping the boy company, and asked his wife about it as much as he could. Because it seemed like the boy had opened his son's eyes. He was more mature, eager to learn (telling them how smart Loki was, how much he taught him), more compassionate and thoughtful, and, strangely enough, his face was brighter with joy every time he spoke of him. Odin was happy his son had found such a good friend. Perhaps–there was that word again–he would meet him someday.

As it was right now, though, he did not think he could.

Jötunheim had sent a parchment in which they utterly _refused_ every offer of peace, or hint of an agreement. They just wanted the Casket of Ancient Winters, and would do whatever it took to get it back. They had put an ultimatum, four days to give the Casket back, or they would attack Asgard and get it back themselves. That Casket...Odin had taken it from them when he conquered the realm long ago, and without it, their home had dimmed considerably in terms of power and beauty. Odin did not regret taking it, it was for the best. So Odin did not want to, and would _not_ give it back. With the option of peace out of the table, there was only one way left to go.

And it was the one he dreaded most.

"You are right, my king. But it has to be done" Frigga's voice anchored him back to reality, gentle and understanding. Odin nodded heavily, dragging a hand across his face, stopping at his missing eye. She was right. It had to be done. They would wait the four days, secure the Casket, and then, when the Jötun warriors walked down to Asgard, they would be prepared.

They would go to war.

\-----------------------------------------------

No. No no no no. _No!_ He refused.

Thor ran around the cave, going farther and father with each gust of wind. His throat was sore from screaming.

"Loki! Loki, please answer me!" the tears made it hard to see, but he wiped them away roughly. Crying would not do anything to help him. He had to find Loki. He had to find his brother.

Thor reached the edge of a pine forest. It was the farthest he had ever gone. He hesitated. Would he get lost? 

Blood flashed in his mind.

With a shaky sigh, Thor gripped his knife tight and wondered into the massive trees. If whatever thing that had...hurt Loki was still lurking around somewhere he could at least defend himself. And he would kill it for doing that to his brother.

His boots crunched the frozen snow beneath his feet, the smell of pine trees strong and fresh.

The forest was silent. How strange. In Asgard, the forest was always vibrating with life, and animals often came to greet you. Instead, this forest looked...dead. Thor shivered. He could not look at the empty trees anymore, so he lowered his gaze, and–

There!

A small drop of blood in the snow. Loki had gone through here! That means he was not captured! Now cautiously optimistic, the prince clung to every drop he could find. A stain here, a few drops there...he could have been thinking about following his brother's blood to an unknown destination like it was a game, but it gave him nausea. He just wanted to find his brother.

_Please, be okay. Please, let him be okay._

The drops stopped.

Thor tilted his head and looked up. A tree...? The tree trunk was covered in small stains, leading up, and up, and....

_There he is!_

Impossibly small, between the branches, huddled up in one of Frigga's blankets. Thor felt his knees nearly give out beneath him from sheer relief.

"Loki!"

The head moved, and a single red eye peeked at him from the green pine tree. His mouth moved, too high up to hear, but Thor though he could see his name being mouthed. He smiled wide, waving his arm in the air. Loki did not move, aside from uncurling slightly.

"Are you alright, Loki? I saw...I saw the cave, and you were not there, so I thought..." he swallowed. "I am just really glad you are alright."

Loki did not move.

"...Are you going to get down from there?"

Loki's mouth moved again.

"You are too far up, Loki, I cannot hear you! You–You are not hurt, are you?" Thor frowned worriedly. The blood stain in the cave was not too large, but it was still big, probably made by a gash.

Loki's body moved in a sigh. Thor could catch a mouthed _oaf_ between whatever Loki was saying.

"I–I cannot get down" Loki shouted at last, embarrassed.

"What? Then how did you climb up?" 

"Climbing up something does not necessarily mean I know how to reverse the process!" Thor could _feel_ the glare Loki gave him. Still, he smiled at the comeback. Trust his brother to always know what to say.

"Then wait there! I will climb up and get you down!"

"You better not fall and die, Thor, or I will kill you!"

"That does not even make sense!" Thor giggled, grabbing at the trunk experimentally. It was slim enough. He could make it. He took off his gloves, flexing his fingers, and started climbing up the dangerously frozen tree. How had Loki even _gotten_ up there? While he moved, he fell back into the comfortable rhythm of grab and push, grab and push. Thor liked to climb trees. It was like a puzzle, looking for the perfect hole or ledge to grab on to, and balancing himself between the branches was always exciting. Even if, holy Norns, Loki was _very_ high up.

"How are you so good at climbing?" Loki broke the silence. Thor did not look up, concentrated, but he was not shouting as much, so the blonde took it as a sign that he was getting closer.

"Asgard has...a lot of trees" he panted "I have climbed ma– _huff_ –many of them, so I have plenty of practice"

"I see. Well, you better be careful. Trees in this realm are really–"

As if on cue, Thor's foot slid on a sheet of ice, and, for a terrifying moment, he thought he would fall. Then a blue hand shot down and grabbed his coat, and with surprising strength, pulled him up to a strong branch. Thor scrambled to find his footing, and took a moment to calm down his racing heart.

"Slippery" Loki finished, now to eye level with Thor. 

Thor hugged the branch tightly, and looked at Loki with wide eyes.

" _How_ did you even get up here?"

"I would not have survived this long if I did not have a few tricks up my sleeve" Loki huffed, adjusting his grip so he was facing Thor better. The blanket slid off his shoulder, pooling around his legs.

The two boys stayed in silence for a few moments. Thor sighed.

"I am really, really glad you are alright, Loki"

"Me too"

"What happened? The cave...You know what? Let us go down first and you can explain then" Thor proposed. Loki nodded hesitantly.

"Now, I will go down first, and I will tell you were to put your foot and arms. That way if you fall I can catch you"

"Um...But I–" Loki mumbled.

"What?"

"No, nothing. Go"

"...Alright"

So now they began their descent, slow and careful, because Thor did not particularly felt like falling to his death today. He double checked the holes and ledges, and told Loki were to grab on. Loki did not answer, he only grunted in affirmation and followed Thor's instructions–for once. After what felt like forever, they reached the ground.

...And Loki immediately collapsed on the snow.

"Loki! Brother, are you all right?!" Thor cried, putting his arms on either side of him.

Loki met his eyes. His lips were pressed tightly together, but he seemed relatively fine. So why...?

"Loki. Explain." He said in his most stern tone. Loki averted his eyes and sighed.

"Alright. But promise you will not throw a fit" 

"Well, now that you have said so, I know it is bad" Thor frowned.

"Not really. But for you it might be, so promise me you will stay calm"

"Alright, I promise"

Loki searched Thor's eyes for a bit more, as if looking for a lie, before lifting the blanket he was wrapped in, revealing his leg, and–

Oh.

"Loki, your leg!" Thor shouted, scrambling to hold it. So _that_ was were the blood came from! Loki's leg had a big gash running through the lower part, almost reaching his ankle, and dark blood was slowly seeping out. Loki had climbed down all the way with this? _Had he also ran up the tree with it?!_ Loki slapped his hand away without any real force.

"Do not touch it, oaf! You will hinder the healing process!"

"H-Healing process?"

Loki sighed again.

"I am using my magic to heal the wound. I stayed in the tree because it is quieter and I can concentrate better. It is healing now, and it will be as good as new in a few days" he explained slowly, as if talking to a toddler. Thor frowned and looked at the leg.

"Who did this?"

Loki averted his eyes again.

_"Loki"_

"Fine! Some frost giants came by the cave and saw me there. I barely had time to hide everything when they _barged_ in and–t-tried to make me leave" he stumbled on the last bit, and Thor suspected he was downplaying the matter.

"How did they find the cave? I thought no one knew it was there!"

"...I have been thinking. Perhaps..." Loki took a deep breath "Perhaps they heard us. When...when we fought that one time"

Thor sucked in a breath. Right. That time they had...Loki was right. They had both been so angry, and they had shouted so much...! Someone had to hear them!

"Loki I...I am sorry"

"Do not be. We could not have known there were frost giants near"

"Where will you stay now?"

"I was prepared for this. There is another cave a little bit further from here. It is very small, there is only room for me" Loki sent an apologetic look to Thor.

"It is alright. We can still meet at the cave, and you stay at the smaller one"

Loki nodded, and moved a little, gritting his teeth when his leg was jostled. Thor frowned.

"And your leg? Will you truly be okay?"

"Yes, Thor, I told you, it is only for a few days"

"But what if the Jötnar who hurt you return? You cannot run like this"

Loki sniffed petulantly. "I got up that tree, did I not?"

"I doubt you can do that a second time, you need to heal faster" Thor was thinking about a herb his mother had told him about. A healing herb. It only grew on Asgard, but it was abundant and it possessed such properties that Loki's injury would be healed in hours! But...Thor looked at his brother. He did not seem too spooked, but he was still tired, and weary, and hurt. He did not want to leave him defenseless while he got the herb tomorrow. Leaving today would be hard enough already. So what could he do? 

Hmm...

What if...?

A spark of an idea lit in Thor's mind. It was risky. Very, very risky. But it could work. Thor trembled in excitement. He had done many daring things in his adventures, and he had punched Finn in the face, but this plan would top them all. Loki saw his growing smile and squinted.

"What are you thinking, oaf?"

Thor tried to appear serious and unassuming, but it was proving to be futile.

"Meet me tomorrow when the sun is high in the sky, in this very spot. Make sure to be fully dressed, not barefoot–oh! and get something to eat. Something light"

" _What?_ Why? Are we going on one of your stupid adventures?"

"Something like that"

Thor's shining eyes locked into Loki's.

"We are going to Asgard"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Odin, just honestly doing his best: can't we talk like civilized people and reach an agreement–  
> Laufey: your people are ugly, i hate you with all fibers of my being and i hope you step on a lego.  
> Odin: ...okay then.  
> \----------------  
> Thor: hey, i have an idea!  
> Loki: does it involve putting me and potentially you in danger in a very stupid way?  
> Thor:....i have no ideas.  
> \----------------  
> Guys I literally have my college entrance exam tomorrow and I am: s c a r e d  
> Wish me luck!


	8. Call Your Hounds

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welcome to another episode guys! I just wanted to thank you for all your support in the comments, I feel quite good about the test...all I have to do now is wait for the results!
> 
> Enjoy your chapter! :)

"You are insane"

Loki's hand was digging into his arm, painfully so.

"You are _insane_ "

Thor waved to a lady washing clothes outside. 

"This is madness"

Their footsteps thumped on the freshly rained-on earth.

"This is a terrible plan. This is a terrible, _horrible_ plan"

They left the little town, and set for the city on a little natural path of leaves. Once they were out of view, Thor sighed loudly.

"Would you _calm_ _down_ , Loki?!" he yelled, untangling Loki's gloved hand from his arm.

"You want me to calm down?! I am a _frost_ _giant!_ In _Asgard_! How am I to calm down?!" Loki seethed from inside his hood. Thor buried his face in his hands.

"Look, just relax, alright? I am not telling anyone you are here, we are only here for the healing herb, and then we can go"

"But why did I have to come?!"

"I have told you this already, brother. I do not wish to leave you in Jötunheim if those frost giants could return" he explained patiently.

Remember master Runar's words Thor. Fear can become anger. Loki was afraid. That was it.

The aforementioned boy darted his eyes around the ground, glancing to the left and right in panic. His hands, now devoid of the apparent comfort of squeezing Thor's arm, were wringing restlessly. Loki, though suspicious and half-believing Thor was joking, had actually met him at the place they had agreed, but had quickly realized that it was no jest when they stepped through the portal. Thor had pulled Loki's tunic hood over his head to hide his blue skin, put gloves on him, and told him to immediately notify him if his leg hurt too much to continue. Loki had been uncomfortable, but it had to be done. The prince had asked Loki if he could transform into something else, or if he could make his skin appear Aesir, but Loki had vehemently shot down the idea, as he was not that advanced yet, and magic that big required a lot of energy and mental stability. Which right now, Thor noted, was the last thing Loki had.

"It is alright, Loki. I promise I will not let anyone hurt you" he tried to placate. Loki did not look convinced, staying rooted on his spot on the ground.

That was another thing. Loki was terrified of adults.

It had become clear, as once they started passing ladies doing laundry, or buying fresh vegetables, Loki would tense and glare at them from under his hood, quickening his pace so they would pass them faster. And men? Men were much worse. They had been briefly approached by a butcher Thor knew, and while it was only a passing 'hello, little prince', with a wave and smile, Loki had flinched violently and shot his hand up to grip his arm tight. The butcher had noticed the movement, but Thor had made up something about his friend being sick and hurried away.

Loki had not let go of his arm since then.

Thor's heart ached for him, for what must have been done to him to trigger such a fearful reaction, so looking at him now made him a little guilty of having shrugged his hand off. The blonde reached out slowly and took a trembling hand in his. He tried to look at him as seriously as possible, tried to convey trust and safety.

"I mean it. No one will harm you here. We go for the herb, we go back to Jötunheim, and that is it"

Loki's mouth trembled, and Thor panicked momentarily–If Loki cried now, he would not know what to do, except probably cry too–but then he nodded, squeezing his hand in a silent answer. Thor smiled and patted his brother's head with his free hand.

"I am not your pet, oaf" Loki protested half-heartedly, but did not push him away.

"No, you are not. But sometimes you are as cute as one" Thor teased, just to get a reaction out of him. It worked, as Loki sputtered and stomped his good leg along the way– _I am not cute Thor!_–until the crushing pressure in his hand lowered into something manageable.

With that out of the way, the brothers could concentrate in going on the right direction, the calming loneliness of the forest helping their mood. Loki started looking around in less fear and more wonder, and Thor remembered the vast and empty lands of Jötunheim. This must be a very big change. They walked in silence for some minutes, Loki's wide eyes drinking the sight of fresh streams, little birds and wild flowers avidly. Thor also took that moment to appreciate what he never knew he had. He would not want to live in Loki's land, he realized that now with a new fervor, so he turned to Asgard's forests and mountains with appreciative eyes. He always took his home for granted, and it was sobering to have seen another realm that was so sad and empty, and thinking there were people that _had_ to live there.

After they had been walking for some time, Loki began asking his questions.

"What is that?"

"Why is this one blue?"

"Is this stream safe to drink?"

"Why is it so _hot?_ "

Thor took it as a sign that he was beginning to relax, so he gladly answered each of his questions, making up silly tales when he did not know the answer.

He was in the process of explaining to Loki why, no, he could not eat that fish, it was poisonous–when he heard footsteps approaching. Loki apparently had not noticed, caught up in admiring the fish's shiny tail, but Thor raised his head and saw the last person he wanted to see right now.

Finn's sword glinted in the sunlight as he traveled forth, glancing lazily around. A freshly killed rabbit hung from his belt, and the scar from Thor's attack still shone on his nose. He was hunting then, good. He was not bored, or looking for his friends or something to fight.

However, it also meant he was on high alert, listening and watching so he could catch even the minimal sound of a potential dinner. 

Thor clamped his hand over Loki's mouth and dragged him behind a thick fallen tree, their little bodies being effectively hidden by the leaves. Loki squirmed and fought at first, confused at the sudden change, but Thor pointed to Finn discreetly and he fell still, shifting so his leg was not beneath his weight.

The brothers watched as Finn sniffed and scratched his nose holding their breath. The tall boy looked around suspiciously a few times while Thor prayed to the Norns with everything he had. Finally, to their relief, a deer passed him running in the direction they had come from, and Finn gave chase, distracted.   
They stayed in the protection of the tree some moments more just in case, and then they slowly marched onwards to their destination again.

Thor looked behind several times, not convinced of Finn's absence, and confused by the mix of fear and anger that came with thinking about him. He could almost feel his nose crushing under his fist. Loki eyed him in silence until they had put enough rivers between them and Thor stopped looking back.

"What was that about?" 

"Huh?"

"That boy. You were glaring at him"

"I-I was?" Thor had not noticed. Wow. He must still be mad at him.

Loki raised his eyebrow.

"What did he do? Did he win on a game of chess against you?" he asked, half-joking. Thor scratched his head sheepishly with his free hand.

"Um, he actually _lost_ a game. It is just what happened next...I am still mad. At the things he said" he confessed.

"What did he say?"

"Just some things about a friend" he lied quickly. Loki had been shunned and bullied enough already. He did not need anymore mean words.

Loki hummed.

"And now you avoid him. Is it to prevent a fight, or because you are scared?" his tone held no mockery, but Thor still felt put on the spot.

"I am not _scared_ , Loki. I just do not want to get into more trouble" he defended.

"Trouble? What did you do?" Loki gave him his full attention, red eyes shining with interest.

Thor blushed.

"I...I might have.. _pnchthfce_ " he mumbled.

"What?"

"I pn'ch 'm in t'fce" he said again, through his teeth. It was embarrassing enough already with his Asgardian friends, he did not need Loki's sly looks and laughter too.

"Speak clearly, I cannot hear you" Loki whined, tugging at his hand.

"I punched him in the face!" Thor burst out the words.

Loki stilled, wide eyes looking at him. And then he laughed. _Because of course he did._

"Y-You punched that boy! In the f-face?!" Loki cried, delighted.

"He was being mean" 

"Oh my, brother, it seems I have been rubbing off on you" he purred.

"Are not!"

"Next you will be kicking grown men in their–"

"Loki!" Thor interrupted, scandalized. Loki guffawed.

"And all because of his words against a friend? You are unbelievable"

"Should I have not defended my friend then?" he glared.

"I am not saying that. I am just saying there are better ways of fighting someone than with your fists, but Norns, I _wish_ I had been there!" Loki spread his hands in the air.

"Little Thor, the Crown prince, jumping in the air to meet the bully's face, and he falls down heavily...I would have paid _gold_ to see his face afterwards!" he drawled, like an old man telling a story of his youth. Thor was still flushed, but he could not help a small smile.

"I am glad to see my pain amuses you"

"Chaos makes me laugh. It is in my nature" Loki winked.

And that way, joking and laughing, they found the herb. It was very difficult to miss. Tall, fiery red, with petals the size of Thor's palm. Thor got to work, remembering the way his mother had taught him to make the traditional healing paste. He had been too little to remember everything, so she had put the instructions in a song, which he hummed while he started.

_Take the leaves, no more than three, and put them in a bowl._

Thor did not have a bowl, so a piece of bent tree bark had to do the trick.

_Look for drops of water sweet and soup it will become._

He filled the bark with water from a nearby stream until it was soggy and full.

_Two blueberries, smashed and ripe will go into the mix._

He crushed the berries with his fingers, letting the juice drip into the bowl.

_And with a final touch of seidr, you are ready to begin._

Thor warmed the bowl with his seidr, having to wait a little to remember how to summon it.

_Take the pain, and paint it well, leave no place without touch._

Thor was singing loudly now, taking Loki's leg and applying the mix on the cut, covering it completely. Loki was staring at him with his eyebrows raised.

_The petals go around the pain and three pats give it love._

Thor patted Loki's leg three times playfully. The Jötun boy chuckled quietly.

_Give it time to rest and dry, then wash the pain away._

They waited a few minutes, in which the petals hardened slightly, and then Thor washed it all off with the river water.

_And now you have got a healthy child, until we meet again!_

Thor finished, waving his hands for effect. Loki's leg was cured, as if the cut was never there.

"Wow. I–Wow. I did not know you could do that with a plant" Loki brushed his hand against were the wound used to be. "Thank you"

"You are most welcome. It is very cool, huh?"

"Cool? Not really, it felt a bit warm" 

Thor laughed. "No, brother. It is a Midgardian term my father taught me. It means something that is admirable, I think"

"Huh. Strange... I would like to go to Midgard one day, I have heard curious things about it" Loki commented.

"Then we will go together, one day. When we are bigger, and stronger" Thor promised, smiling.

Loki watched him for several moments, in silence. An emotion he could not quite place in his eyes. 

"Well, let us get going then. I swear I will faint if I have to endure any more of this heat"

"Fa–You should have told me you were feeling dizzy!" 

\------------------

"Thor?"

"Hm?"

"...."

"What is it Loki?"

"...You are very cool"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thor, walking through the forest: what a beautiful morning, the sun is shining, all is quiet and–  
> Finn: *appears from the shadows*  
> Thor: *screeching*  
> \------------  
> Loki: i don't always trust people, but when i do, i don't  
> Thor: ...so you're not coming out of that hole?  
> Loki: i am not coming out of this hole.


	9. Meeting Fate

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sort of a bridge chapter, before we get to the juicy stuff. We're nearing the end!

Thor wakes up in the middle of the night.

That is not strange. Sometimes he wakes because he needs to go to the bathroom, or because he is hungry, and–although not often–because of bad dreams. But Thor rubs his eyes in confusion, as none of these three things were the case.

Grumbling, he rolled in his bed, wrapping himself up in a cocoon of blankets. And there it was again! Thor lay with his eyes open. A prod, like someone was poking him, but in his mind. It was not painful, but pretty annoying at the darkest point of night. He scratched his head as if he could tell whatever thing was bothering him to stop. 

...And promptly bolted up in his bed when a sharp stab of pain surged through his skull.

" _Ow!_ ow, ow, what–?" he chanted, massaging his temples.

_**You oaf! Are you awake now?** _

What.

"Loki?!" Thor looked around his room wildly, disoriented, as if Loki would suddenly pop out from behind his toy chest. But there was no one there, and the voice stayed quiet.

Thor was just considering if he had just hallucinated, when it spoke again, inside his very head, sounding like he was standing next to him.

_**Norns help me, if you went back to sleep I will hurt you.** _

Thor held his head in his hands, as if he could protect himself from whatever was happening.

 _Why am I hearing Loki's voice?_ He thought desperately, tears gathering in his eyes from confusion and the startle of being woken up with pain.

_**Because I am talking to you, stupid.** _

Thor flinched. "...Loki?" he asked again, tentatively. No response. But he had answered not too long ago, so why...? Thor looked at the sheets of his bed and wiped his tears.

_Maybe it was a nightmare._

_**It was not. Listen to me.** _

Thor groaned. What was going on? Hm. Perhaps...

 _Just shut up, I am sleeping!_ He thought deliberately, imagining he was talking to Loki himself, not particularly inclined to think he was addressing a voice in his head.

...And yelped when the same stab of pain ran through his skull again.

_**Do not tell me to shut up!** _

Thor sighed.

_It really is you, is it not?_

_**Snails think faster than you.** _

Yep, Loki indeed.

_I did not know you could enter my mind._

_**I am not. I am merely talking to you. Relaying a message, if you will.** _

Thor massaged his temples.

_And what is so important that it could not wait until the afternoon?_

_**You must go to your father. Now.** _

Thor blinked.

_Father? As in, Odin All-Father?_

He could practically hear Loki's eye roll.

_**Yes, Thor, unless you are adopted, that is the one.** _

_But why?_

_**Frost Giants are moving towards Asgard.** _

Thor froze, and then jumped from his bed, sleepiness forgotten. He did not doubt for a second that Loki was lying. Loki would never lie. Not about something like this.

_What?!_

_**Listen, I cannot hold this spell much longer.** _

_Are you alright?_

**_Yes. I am hiding. They are passing in front of the cave, there are...there are a lot._ **

Thor opened his door and ran as fast as he could to his parents chambers, shivering slightly with the night air.

_I am going now._

_**I think they are planning to take Asgard by surprise, you must prepare.** _

Two hallways. Almost there.

_Why did you...?_

_**I had to warn you. I know Asgard will win. Perhaps they will capture all of us, but if you are victorious–** _

Loki stopped talking. Thor's steps faltered, but he kept running, he could see the door now.

_Loki?!_

_**I am sorry. I am sorry.** _

_What for? Loki?_

**_Please do not kill me._ **

Thor stopped short in front of the door. What?

_Loki...?_

_**Please, please. Stop it, please!** _

Thor's eyes widened. If they were talking through their thoughts and he was hearing Loki's, then...

Thor fumbled with the lock, and, feeling a burning sensation in his head, stumbled in his parent's room.

"Love, are you alright?"

 _I cannot hear him._ Thor's face was white with fear and pain.

Frigga sat up in her bed, followed by Odin. His mother immediately ran to his side and took his face gently in hers. Her eyebrows lowered.

"What is wrong?" Odin asked, retrieving his eyepatch and putting it on.

"He has the remains of a severed spell on him" his mother explained gravely. Thor could not seem to stop shaking. He needed to warn his parents, he _needed_ to, but his brother...

Frigga held him gently and carried him to the bed, were both his parents' hands rested in his forehead.

"What kind of spell?" Odin asked, grasping the gravity of the situation. Someone had put a spell on his son? They would pay.

"It seems...a connection one. Mental" Odin paled, and Frigga was quick to explain. "But not _entering_ his mind. Simply a communication spell"

"Then why...?"

"A spell like this is quite advanced, and anything that has to do with one's mind needs to be connected and disconnected carefully. This spell was _severed_ , which can cause lasting pain" she explained quickly.

"How much pain are you in, dear heart?" his mother asked.

Now that Thor thought about it, his head was hurting a lot. His eyes filled with tears, and apparently that was answer enough. Frigga's eyes darkened.

"We will find whoever did this and bring them to justice" 

"No!" Thor shouted. They could not! Loki...Loki would die, perhaps he was already...

"It is alright, whatever they told you, it is not true" Odin placated. Thor shook his head fiercely, wincing when the movement caused his pain to spike up. "You do not need to protect them"

"Frost giants!" he blurted out, finally. His parents tensed.

"What?"

"They are coming, frost giants are coming right now to attack, we m-must be prepared" Thor repeated what Loki had told him.

"No my son, they have given us four days to give them the Casket. Not two days have passed" Odin denied. "The perpetrator was lying to you"

"You must go, father! They hope to trick us, they are coming!" He felt nauseous.

"Thor, calm yourself. They might be an unfortunate race, but they are not the savages you deem them to be" he lectured. Thor was not having this. Every second they spent here was another step the Jötnar took. His mother watched him with worried eyes.

"Lie down, my love, and sleep. You are confused–"

"I am _not!_ " Thor near screeched. Odin clenched his jaw.

"Do _not_ speak to your mother in such a way"

Thor squirmed out of their grasp, and glared at them, tears running down his cheeks. They were not understanding! And after L-Loki had gone through the trouble of alerting him...

 _"Then listen to me!"_ he snapped. His parents leaned back with wide eyes. Thunder rumbled in the distance, which was weird, because it was not even raining. Frigga's eyes followed the lighting for a second, and she looked at Odin, having a silent conversation with him. Odin heaved a sigh.

"Alright. We are listening" her mother whispered, carefully.

"I have been trying to tell you, and you do not believe me!" he cried. "It is true! What that person told me...! They are not bad, they warned me of their plan!" he tried to clean Loki's name without giving away his identity.

"Do you know who spoke to you?"

"I...yes. But they're not bad, I promise. They warned me that the Jötnar were coming, and they would never lie about something like this" he hiccuped.

"B-but when they were telling me more..." his eyes filled with tears again. "S-Something happened. I do not know what, but they suddenly stopped talking, and my head hurt a lot"

Thor brought his hands together, in a pleading stance, and shut his eyes tight.

"Please believe me. Please, go now, before they get here" he whispered.

There was silence for two heart wrenching minutes, minutes in which Thor did not move an inch. _Please_ , he thought. _Please_ , _please_.

"Very well"

His head snapped up, eyes wide. Odin was looking at him, and his blue eye seemed to glow in the darkness of the chamber.

"I will go. I will trust you. But–" Odin pinned him with a stormy expression, and suddenly, for the first time, Thor understood his father's enemies. He looked terrifying.

"If this turns out to be a lie, the perpetrator will be _severely_ punished" he promised with a low voice.

Thor nodded faintly. Odin rose from his bed, and Frigga helpfully dressed him in full armor with a twist of magic. He nodded at her, kissed her on the cheek, and looked one last time at Thor before disappearing out the door. Thor could hear him barking orders and telling the guards to get in formation. Very quickly, there was a ruckus outside, and yelling and crashes as everyone scrambled to obey his father. Frigga sighed, brushing her fingers through his hair.

"My love, stay here. I will calm the people down while your father prepares. There is bound to be confusion and fear, and we do not need more of it" she said carefully.

Thor nodded.

"I mean it. _Stay_ , alright?"

"You will win, will you not?" Thor tried to appear as fearful and pitiful as possible. It worked, Frigga's eyes softened, and she kissed his forehead.

"Do not worry about that, love. Just sleep tight, and in the morning, your headache will disappear" she said, and, with a twirl of her robes, she stepped out too, closing the door behind her.

Thor watched her go, waited for some moments to be safe, and then jumped from the bed.

_I am sorry mother._

_But I must find Loki._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> When your parents aren't listening to you when you're being serious and they insist on treating you like a baby when war is about to break out and your adoptive brother is very possibly dead so you're in the verge of a mental breakdown and accidentally activate your powers for the first time without even realizing it.
> 
> Relatable, am i right?
> 
> Don't have a note for this chapter, both because it's too short and serious for me to make a joke, and because i'm in a bit of a funk. Thanks for reading though! ;)


	10. Raise Your Bet

Thor ran through the forest. Sweat marred his forehead, and panic made it hard to breathe. He was going to find his brother. He had to. He _had_ to. And fast.

He could hear the shouting of his father's army in the distance, the clang of swords and shields. Lights and wild-fires made the night look a little less scary. Wait. Thor's eyes widened. Those screams. Some were normal, but others...they were deep, almost animalistic. H-Had the Jötnar gotten here already?! A wild screech and an axe being impaled in a nearby tree confirmed his suspicions. Loki was right, they were hoping to get them asleep! If Thor had been slower to tell his parents...he shuddered. This was a turn of events. He needed to be extra careful now. This was a battlefield. This was _war_.

Thor fought the paranoia and feeling of being watched and jumped through the portal. Faintly, he noticed he was still wearing his night clothing, which was very much _not_ made for winters like Jötunheim's, but he could not bring himself to care. There was no time to change. 

The first thing he saw when he stepped through the portal was a frost giant.

Thor jumped back with a scream, covering his head and waiting for the blow, but it never came. He slowly opened his eyes. The frost giant had not moved. Thor waited until he felt moderately safe and approached the giant. Glassy red eyes stared up at him. A spear through his chest, pinning him to the ground. He was dead. Thor could not bear to look at his face any longer, and the smell of blood made him gag. He pushed the horrible sight to the back of his mind, and pushed on, wrapping his rapidly freezing arms around his torso. It was not storming, but a cloud of black smoke and ash darkened the sky and made it hard to see.

There was screaming. So much screaming. Black figures went at each other, swinging and fighting and killing. Thor no longer knew which was the enemy and which was his side. Bodies were scattered through the snow, staining it red. He saw women, he saw men, he saw elders. Thor gave up and had to stop to prevent vomiting when he saw two small feet (by the giant's standards) buried along with their mother. The child was really big, but still a kid, and Thor's traitorous mind conjured images of tiny blue feet stained red. Trembling, he continued on his journey, having to hide more than once to avoid being spotted by Jötnar, or Asgardians.

This...this was hell. Chaos. Pure death. All Thor had ever seen were pictures of glorious warriors, coming home after winning against a foe. Smiling and raising their swords. The enemy's face twisted in rage as they swore their revenge. Thor had been excited to fight when he came of age. Meeting Loki had dampened the desire, but he still wanted to prove himself, to go to war and impress his father. To lead his own army. But the books never depicted war like _this_. The few Asgardians Thor could distinguish had their faces contorted in a look of cold rage, the look of a killer. They were merciless as they swung their swords, cutting and chopping and getting covered in blood. Some fell with a cry, to the white ground, unmoving. Dead. The Jötnar were the same, but the families ran for their lives, their red eyes wild and desperate. Desperate to live. Some made it into the woods, or into wild portals, but some were surrounded by Asgardians or the fire they had set, and it was the end for them.

Thor himself had to dodge a sword from an Asgardian once, passing inches off his head. Thor had screamed and could not keep the tears of fear at bay. He was caught in the crossfire. He had not done anything. He was innocent, and yet, he had to hide from everyone. He did not want to die. 

...

...Was this how the villages felt? How the families in the realms they had attacked felt? Caught up in political matters that were beyond them, that they did not even had a say for. Thor never thought about the families. Only about the army. The good side, the bad side. But...was it not true? That, for Jötnar, their army was the good side? It was all very confusing, and Thor was tired of running, battered and bruised, and so, so _scared_. He did not feel like a prince any longer, coddled and shielded from the horrors of the real world. He was just another nameless child trying to survive amidst the war, so he needed to act as such. Something primal lit up in his brain. Something that forgot all his manners, his posture, and just said, _run, hide, be silent, do not trust anyone._

Was...Was this how Loki felt?

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, Thor could see the cave ahead. Even before all this, it was a secluded spot, so there were not adults near. Only bodies. Thor gingerly stepped over them, avoiding their hands, plagued by the irrational fear that they would grab him and kill him too. 

The cave was dark. There were some bodies there too. Jötnar, likely searching for refuge. Thor sat against the cold cavern wall, blowing shakily into his blue fingers, trying to warm them a little. He hiccuped and cried. He wanted to leave. This had been a mistake, please let him leave. He wanted his mother, his father. But–But Loki. If he was going to leave, he _had_ to take Loki with him. Rescue him from this madness. Thor wanted to call out to his brother, but he was terrified of being heard, and his throat was hurting from all the smoke. So he limited himself to painfully walking through the stone. When Loki last talked to him, he said he was in the cave. He could not have gone far, right? He could not be...d-dead, right?

A sob caught his attention. Thor turned his head so fast he became dizzy. Loki?! Was it him? He stalked to the shadowy place he heard he sound. He squinted, eyes watery and red from the ash. 

There he was.

_There he was!_

_Thank the Norns._

Thor could not contain the choked sound of relief passing through his lips, and Loki flinched hard, sobs growing louder. He could see some weak tendrils of magic trying to protect its master, but it was futile. Thor cleared his throat.

"L-Loki....it's me, Thor"

Loki snapped his eyes up and widened them, his red irises also flooded with tears. He looked so young. Thor felt centuries younger too.

So that is why he let himself be filled by his whims and threw himself around Loki, squeezing him tight, and wailed.

"I-I thought I had lost you! I thought you–" he could not continue. Loki started crying in earnest too, clutching his dirty gown hard, and rocking back and forth. He babbled Thor's name like a mantra, and the two boys stayed crying, pained and afraid and relieved, all at once, until their exhausted bodies ran out of tears. Thor wiped his eyes, smudging dirt all over his cheeks. He let a little smile drape over his features.

"Thank the Norns you are here, do not worry, I will take you to Asgard, and then you will be safe...." he trailed off.

Loki was still crying. Well, without tears, but a wretched, low sound. Thor noticed he was holding his middle. He paled.

"I-It hurts, Thor, it _hurts_...." he muttered, broken and painful.

No. No no no. Thor started panicking, but he forced himself to be calm for his little brother.

"W-What does? Can you show me?"

Loki sobbed but lifted his arm slightly, staying in his uncomfortable curled position. Perhaps he could not straighten. Thor gasped.

Loki's tunic, one of the first Thor had gifted him, was stained a violent red, and blood was slowly seeping through the fabric.

"No" Thor did not know why he said so. Denial? Horror? No matter. He would be fine, he _had_ to be fine! He would not let snow, or war, or a spear claim his brother. He refused. 

Unfortunately, mother's ailment spell would not work on something this big, and Thor was far too scared to hold his seidr properly. How long had Loki been like this? Had he lost too much blood? Alright. Breathe, _think_. Get out of here first.

"Brother, we must go. We have healers in Asgard, they will treat you" But he was a Jötun "I...I will _make_ them treat you" he promised weakly. He tried to help Loki stand, but the boy gave a choked cry and doubled over. Blood spurted from his mouth in a wet cough. Thor began to cry again.

"Come, Loki, _please_. I beg you, just _move_ , just a little, and we can go" he pleaded. Loki looked at him, eyes full of fear and pain and something else. Thor sobbed. Resignation. Loki had given up. But–He could not! He could _not!_

Thor looked at the cave's entrance. He was too far. And from then, they had to cross the battlefield, and then reach the portal...Loki...Loki would not make it. Thor curled up against his brother and brushed his fingers through his black hair, like his mother did for him. Loki was still whining and coughing, but to Thor's horror, it was getting weaker.

"Stay awake, Loki, alright? Stay awake" he whispered, putting his chin on top of his head, cradling him like a toddler.

"We still have so much to do. There is still so many things I want to show you..." he could not see through his tears.

"L-Like my chambers...The training grounds...the-the library! Would you like to see it?"

Loki mumbled something inaudible.

"Well, I think you would like it. It is huge, and full of really i-interesting books" he laughed wetly.

"I bet you could learn a lot, and become a great seidr user" he rocked them gently. Loki whimpered, and Thor shushed him gently.

"W-We could go on adventures, i-in Midgard, like you wanted...we will find something c-cool there"

"We could be together, riding horses, or playing, or...or, whatever you want to do" he was rambling now. Whenever Loki fell too still, Thor would give him little shakes and swallow his panic until he mumbled something against his shoulder and he would resume his monologue.

They stayed like that a long time, but the sounds of battle continued outside, impossibly loud.

Louder, though, was the scream that resounded in front of the cave.

_"Thor!"_

Loki rolled his head weakly. Thor held him tighter. Who...?

"Thor, love, were are you?!" 

_M-Mother?!_ Thor straightened, wanting to see if it was true, or if he was half-dead already and seeing things.

But it was not an illusion. There she was, draped with a silver cape, hair twirling in the windy weather. Dressed in white, against the black smoke, she looked like an angel. Thor wanted nothing more than to run to her arms. She would save them! She could get them out of there! He delicately propped Loki against the wall. Loki whimpered and searched for his hands blindly, eyes closed. Thor clasped his blue hands.

"Shh...It is alright. We are saved Loki. I am going to get mother, and we will be alright" he whispered. Loki coughed and shivered, and Thor let his hands down gently.

"I will be back. I swear it"

Thor ran all the way back to the mouth of the cave. This time, he did not swallow his scream.

"Mother!!"

Frigga turned around, and a beautiful smile lit up her face. She barreled into him and lifted him high. Thor cried, joyful, and let himself enjoy her warmth for a second, pressed to her chest. He could feel her heartbeat.

"My baby, my beautiful boy, you are alive..." she murmured, kissing his head over and over, grip just on the edge of painful.

"Mamma, mamma..." the name, not uttered since he was but a babe, resurfaced now, and he left the comfort of her bosom to look at her face, red with tears of relief.

"It is alright, my baby...I will get you out. Let us leave this place" she started going towards the forest, but Thor gasped and wiggled until she let him down on the floor with surprise.

"My love, what–?"

"We have to get Loki first!" he could not protect Loki's identity anymore, but he did not care. He needed to save him. Mother would not hurt him, at least not without an explanation, that he knew.

"Loki?...Your friend? He is also here?" Frigga's brow lowered with concern.

"Yes...he" his voice broke, remembering Loki's injury "He is very hurt, Mamma. I...I do not know if he..." he could not finish. Frigga caressed his cheek, wiping his tears. Her jaw was clenched, and her face like stone.

"Take me to him, quick"

Thor grabbed her warm hand, scalding hot against his freezing fingers, and led her to the cave, and to Loki.

He heard her gasp, and her hand tightened around his, but Thor did not have time for that right now. This was the trickiest part. He untangled himself from her hand and ran to Loki's side, reaching for his hand.

"Wait, love–!"

"It is alright. Loki does not give frostbite" he said hurriedly, and took his hand.

"Loki...hey, can you hear me?" he whispered gently. He had to keep him as calm as possible, to let himself be carried by his mother. It helped that she was not a man, but she was still an adult, and he did not know how he would react. Loki did not respond, and for a terrifying second, Thor thought he was too late, but then he blinked wearily, eyes unfocused, and he heaved a sighed of relief.

"There you are. We are going to get you out, alright? But I need you to trust me" he beckoned his mother closer. She did so, keeping her gaze on Loki, eyes unreadable.

"I have my mother here, but she will not hurt you. I swear it" Thor knew he did not have much time when Loki did not react to the word "mother". He bit his lip.

Frigga knelt beside Loki, and Thor looked pleadingly at her, but she was not looking at him. She took in his brother, and the wound with a plain expression, but when Loki wiggled slightly and tightened his grip on Thor's hand he saw her eyes soften. Thor then remembered. She was the goddess of motherhood. Frigga touched Loki's shoulder, as light as a butterfly, and let a bit of her seidr flow into him, but Loki jerked back and started crying again.

"No, No, Loki, it is alright. She wishes to help" he assured, but Loki was pushing weakly against her, shaking his head and trying to make himself smaller. To his surprise, his mother cooed at him, much like he had done before.

"Do not be afraid, sweet thing. I will not hurt you" her voice was soft, and it seemed to do its work, because Loki relaxed a bit, but still faced away. Thor did not know if it was because he was too tired to fight anymore, or because he trusted her, but Frigga took the chance and did some spells Thor did not recognize on Loki's wound. When she was finished, she sat back.

"I am going to pick you up now, alright?" she warned, and then looked at him.

"Can you walk, love?"

"Yes, Mamma" he looked at Loki's wound. It did not look cured "What did you do?" 

"I stopped the bleeding as much as I could, and casted a charm so it will not become infected. Further spells need the energy of the person to work better, but he does not have much" she scooped Loki up in one swift motion, the movement causing Loki to clench his teeth.

"It will have to wait until we are in Asgard. Come" she supported Loki with one hand, took Thor's own with her free one, and together they escaped through the forest.

When they arrived to a river, Thor noticed a boat floating in the icy water. A person was in it.

"L-Lady Eir?!" the healer nodded at him, checking him over with her seidr quickly, and hesitating when she saw Frigga's precious burden. Her eyes bulged when she took sight of the blue skin, and she opened her mouth, but Frigga silenced her with a glare. Their priority was to escape.

Thor sat beside his mother and leaned against her exhaustedly. Her arm came around his shoulders, and she pressed him against her.

The little prince had many problems to deal with right now, nightmare visions that would surely come to haunt him, a Jötun sailing to Asgard, disobeying his mother's orders, befriending a frost giant...But right then?

Right then he relaxed, listening to Loki's painful breaths–but _breaths_ nonetheless–and feeling the rocking of the waves, and let himself sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really tried to depict what it would be like for a little kid like Thor is, pampered and sheltered and excited to lead his own army, to actually be thrown into real fighting and death, realizing the horrors of war. Hope you liked it. Putting aside all video games or playing pretend, war is an awful thing, especially for children and people who are blameless.
> 
> That being said, let's lighten things up, shall we? :)  
> \--------
> 
> Lady Eir: W-What have you got there?  
> Frigga, with a drink in her hand and Loki in the other: A smoothie.  
> \-----  
> Frigga, trying to Be Stern™ and failing: thor you have been lying to us for a very long time you're going to be grounded for the rest of your life, by the way loki what color do you want your room to be?  
> \-----  
> Odin, seeing he apparently just adopted a second son who happens to be the offspring of his mortal enemy and surrounded by flames of war: This is fine.


	11. Hunting the Monster

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Have a titan sized chapter, because I have no self control XD  
> Only 1 more chapter to go guys!

Frigga had a headache. 

It mounted over in her head, painfully pulsing with each breath she took, and she wanted nothing more than to drink some tea and go to bed.

But she knew the child in her arms was suffering a lot more.

Her Thor had dozed off some time ago, his little face contorted in a frown. Her heart burned protectively, and she loathed the suffering and danger he had been in today. What was he thinking?! Part of her wanted to shake him and scream, berate him for the sheer _stupidity_ he had committed going over to Jötunheim alone. Part of her, the biggest part, wanted to hold his precious son and never let him go again. Oh well. She could–and would–save the anger for later. She had more pressing matter to attend to, she mused worriedly, stroking her son's shoulder.

Mainly, the very _blue_ boy she held in those moments.

A Jötun child.

But he was much too small. Much too weak and frail. Much too _normal_ looking.

Loki.

Somehow the faceless child her Thor had rambled about, his friend, seemed separate from this boy. And was that a surprise. Finding out her son had been sneaking out to Jötunheim long before the war broke out, talking with this boy, befriending this boy, donating clothes too, by the look of it. He could have died!

...He could have died.

She was not sure who she meant by that.

Frigga had followed his son to Jötunheim in a hurry when she saw her chambers empty. She should not have been surprised, really, but she had hoped that just this once, he would listen to her. She was angry, and disappointed, and she had taken Lady Eir with her as backup. She had thought he wanted to see the fight, perhaps participate. Help the 'good side' win, as he had expressed many times before. But he had not been there for that. He had been with the boy. Loki. To help him. Save him. Of course, if he was another Asgardian friend of Thor's, he would not have had a reason to sneak out, at least not to Jötunheim. But it made sense, if Loki lived there, then Thor must have been worried about his wellbeing.

And, seeing the state the child was in, she was honestly glad.

For, above all, Frigga was a _mother_ , which her status as goddess of motherhood amplified, and made her feelings toward children of all kind particularly strong.

She felt her chest involuntarily unclench when she looked at Loki, checking him over once more. His chest rose and fell with some difficulty, and his eyes were shut tight. Blood stained his chin and side. Frigga felt a nameless emotion build up inside her. A connection of some sorts. It was too recent to be love, but it was certainly affection, which puzzled her. She had never seen this child before, yet she wanted to protect him, hold him close and assure him no one would touch him, she would protect him, this time it would be different–

_(Take care of the boy. His place is meant to be next to the Thunderer. He is the key to many things.)_

Frigga startled. The Norns? Being raised by witches made listening to certain entities easier, and she always saw with more than just eyes–why did that sentence hurt so much?–but it was so extremely rare that Norns talked to anyone...this boy must be very special. 

_(It will come and bring death, but they will be prepared)_

_What will?_ , Frigga tried to ask, but they were gone. She sighed. The movement of her chest caused Loki to twitch. She looked at him. Hm. It would not hurt to check again. He was running a fever some time back, and she wanted to see if it had improved a little. Jötun physiology was very different from Asgardians, but the principles were the same...what was hard was pinpointing the problem in Loki's body, as he was not the normal frost giant. He was more fragile, more like her or Thor in his organs and injuries. She felt like they had to walk on eggshells around him, and one wrong move could kill him.

Thor would never forgive her if that happened.

She touched his forehead with her seidr, because both her hands were occupied, searching for his temperature, and maybe casting something to ease the pain, when a little voice spoke in her mind, at the same time that he flinched away from her.

_Do not touch me._

Frigga's eyebrows rose, and she tried to swallow her surprise. Lady Eir looked at her from where she was rowing the boat, but Frigga forced a smile. They were close now, she could see the towers of the palace. It would not do for Eir to notice Frigga was being talked to. Frigga let her thoughts wander too, falling in the familiar pattern of mental communication. It was a surprise, for a child so young to have that ability. His seidr was green and faint like smoke, but it was strong, and the witch in Frigga could not help but wonder what was it like when it was at its best.

_Do not worry, I am only checking your temperature._

_Do not_. He insisted. His thoughts were low and it seemed like she was listening from another room, but he started squirming and she bounced him lightly, as she would do to a baby, to settle him. When his thoughts quieted and he stopped moving, she let herself drop the connection between them, so they would not cause pain–

Wait. Connection. Severed. Warning.

Frigga looked at Loki with sad eyes. So _he_ had been the one to warn Thor about the invasion. He had connected with his mind, at such a long distance, and held it as much as he could to tell him about their plans. He had betrayed his realm, to keep theirs safe. 

No. He had no ties to Asgard, and less to the king or queen. He should not have cared whether they lived or died.

He had done it to keep _Thor_ safe.

 _Oh, my child_. She thought, watching his blue skin and markings. Laufey's markings.

 _My child..._ Remembering Thor's descriptions. Smart, cunning, funny, kind, scared, alone, forgotten.

 _My child_...She could not hope to replace his mother. She could not hope to replace anything he had not owned, everything he had lost. But she could save his life. Tonight, she could save him. And that had to be enough.

\------------------------------

The next hours were a blur.

They entered Asgard's golden halls, and ran straight into the healing chambers. Frigga requested the very best of them, and casted a spell so it would be colder than average, for Loki's comfort. She could not bear to part with Thor, so she wrapped him in a blanket, took him from Eir's arms, and settled him on a seat near the bed while Eir worked on Loki.

Eir's grim face took her back to the nights were she had told her another innocent baby had been lost. Frigga had cried so much, in shame and regret. The goddess of _motherhood_ , not being able to have a baby? She loathed to think of the disgrace she was bringing to the house of Odin, and even though he assured her he loved her even without child, she was not deaf to the gossip going around the palace. So when they had Thor, it came with great joy, but also sadness, because that night, Frigga's body gave out and now she could never have another child.

But, she thought, as she clutched Thor to her, and looked to the tiny, bloodied body of the Jötun child, motherhood was not only limited to one's kin. 

\--------------------------------

The night passed way too fast for Frigga's liking, and morning came. A messenger knocked on the door and brought the news of Asgardian victory, and that their warriors were cleaning up and would come home soon. The queen did not feel as gratified as she ought to be, but she felt it was justified.

After a long time of trying to save Loki's life–oftentimes his heart stopped and Frigga felt her body go cold– the boy had become stable and was now resting in the bed, covered by thin blankets. He looked even smaller like this. He slept with a frown on his face, and Frigga wanted to reach out and smooth it over, but his command from the boat rang in her ears, so she did not approach.

Thor started moving. It seemed he was having a nightmare. Her poor boy. She tried to wake him gently, murmuring soft words, but to no avail, and he rose quickly with a shout. Frigga engulfed him in a hug immediately. It would not do for her lovely to believe he was alone waking up from whatever the nightmare was. Thor returned her hug fiercely, and he hiccuped slightly before gasping and pushing her away.

"Mamma!" the nickname made her heart warm, but she wished it had not been brought forth by fear. "Mamma, where's Loki?!" he looked around wildly, and before she could explain, he spotted him laying on the bed. He ran forward, and Frigga followed him slowly. Eir had gone to help the warriors that had fought in last night's battle, so they were the only ones in the room.

Thor's eyes filled with tears as he ever so gently took hold of Loki's hand. Frigga stood beside him, with a hand on his shoulder.

"When will he wake, Mamma? Is he badly hurt?" he whispered.

"We do not know, love. He was very hurt, but–" when Thor started crying again, she took his face in her hands gently and looked in his eyes.

" _But_. Jötnar are a very strong race, so I am sure Loki will be just fine with some rest" Thor nodded shakily.

"He needs us to be strong for him, can you do that?" Thor wiped his tears and nodded with a look of determination. It bore such a resemblance to Odin's stubborn look that Frigga could not help but laugh. Thor scratched his chin pensively.

"Perhaps I will bring him some books, and read to him. He likes books" he mused. "Oh! And when he wakes, I will bring him a cake! A big, thorn orange cake, he loves those" 

As her son talked, she sobered. She was glad to see him happy again, after last night's horrible events, and even if he was jittery and tense, with dark circles under his eyes, his bright heart had not been dampened. She gently put a hand on his head, cutting his rambling short. She hated to interrupt, but...

"Thor, I know it has been a stressful time for you, but I need to know what happened"

"Oh, well..."

"From the _beginning_ " she clarified. Thor paled, and ducked his head.

"Am....Am I in trouble?" he asked, voice small.

"That depends on what I hear" she admitted. Finding out his son had been visiting Jötunheim for Norns knew how long left her feeling angry and disappointed, but more than that, the lies and the secrets. However, it seemed he had also done something good for the little frost giant, and warned them of Loki's message, so she was conflicted.

Thor sighed, but nodded. Frigga's heart softened a bit.

"If it is too much, or if you need to stop, tell me. But to properly help Loki, I need to know everything" she said.

"Yes, Mamma"

Over the next days, Thor told her everything. Odin was not available, having to organize everything post-battle, but Frigga was there. And she was told _everything_.

Everything about Thor wanting to catch a Jötun, sneaking through a wild portal through the forest, everything about finding the little boy. Them becoming friends, their everyday rendezvous, the fight they had. Thor told her about Loki with a smile on his face, and reluctantly admitted to have brought him to Asgard once. Frigga did not know whether to be terrified, angry, or impressed. The only time she unfroze was to scold him for having punched Finn in the face. It felt like the only normal part of the conversation. After it was over, Frigga told Thor she needed to think. Thor begged her to let Loki stay, and swore he was not dangerous, but Frigga insisted. She had sensed his magic, and he had a very powerful Seidr. While she doubted he would hurt her son, magic that big could be lethal, even by accident, if left unchecked. She explained so to Thor, but it caught her by surprise when he sniffed, frowning and said

"Loki is the best at magic, Mamma. He will not let it get out of control"

To hide her doubt, she jested.

"The best? I thought I was the best at magic" Thor looked to be considering that very seriously. He looked adorable. 

"Both of you are the best at it" he said in the end, and while Frigga knew Thor could be very impressionable, the statement left her feeling vaguely uncomfortable. Jötnar were not known for their magic users, but Thor made it sound like Loki was a skilled mage. She sneaked a glance at his prone form. Perhaps she should be more careful.

The thing about him staying here was much more difficult. And it was something that she needed to talk to her husband about. Thor clutched Loki's hand protectively when she told him, and, sadly, she understood him. Odin loathed to do some of the things he had to as king, but would not hesitate to protect them at any cost. She hated that returning the boy to Jötunheim was a very real option. It sounded cruel, but it might be safer in the end.

"He cannot go there again, Mamma! They–they will kill him! They hate him!" he exclaimed. 

"...We shall see" It was the only thing she could say. It was hard. The boy would be hated there, and here as well. 

There seemed to be no place for him.

\-------------------------------------------

It was when Frigga was calling for Odin (for their much needed yet deeply dreaded conversation) that Loki waked up.

Frigga was returning from the throne room. Odin had assured her he would be there as soon as possible, and Frigga had explained the situation briefly. She did not particularly want to put any more stress on her husband, but it had to be done. On the way, she had crossed Eir, who was not required to be at Loki's side all day anymore, since he had become stable some nights before. She had told her the boy was breathing much better now, and his wound almost fully healed. That had pleased Frigga. Frost giant or not, she was glad the child was not suffering anymore.

She approached with silent steps to the healing chamber, in case her Thor had decided to take his nap next to Loki again, but heard some voices. 

Her first instinct was to jump through the door and attack, but her hand only twitched. It would not do for her to be hasty. She listened. Children voices. Had Loki woken up already? She wanted to go and introduce herself right away, but some deep voice in her mind told her it would only scare him, so she remained hidden, listening to the conversation.

"...you are alright! You are in Asgard!" That was Thor, surely. She listened for Loki's reply, but only heard a faint mumble.

"Of course not, Loki! These are healing chambers! Lady Eir–a healer–helped you get better!"

Another mumble, louder this time.

"Probably outside. It has been very busy since...since the attack" he stuttered on the word. The one sided conversation carried on for some minutes, and Frigga deemed it safe enough to enter, once Thor had briefly explained their situation. She took a deep breath. Alright. She could do this. She knocked on the door.

"Oh! That must be her! Now, remember brother–" _huh?_ "–Mamma is very kind, and she will not hurt you. I promise" 

"Come in!"

She opened the door, movements slow and calm, so as not to startle the child.

Looking at him when he was awake...he seemed somehow even more fragile. The first thing she noticed were his eyes. They were looking straight at hers. She could not pinpoint his expression, but his body language said more than a thousand words. He was tense, and even as Thor ran to her and hugged her without hesitation, he stayed rock still. Frigga returned the hug and approached the bed slowly, putting her most soft voice on.

"Hello, sweet thing, I am glad you are awake"

Loki did not respond.

"I am Frigga, Thor's mother, and I promise you, you are safe here"

Nothing. Thor frowned.

"We will do everything we can to heal you completely, and resolve this situation"

His eyes lowered, looking at Thor before returning to her. Thor laughed nervously.

"I...our parents are deciding your fate, Loki"

A twitch.

"But! I want you to stay here, and it is one of the options, right Mamma?" Thor turned hopeful eyes to her, and she did not have the heart to tell him it might not be possible. Although, looking at the child, scooting slowly away from her when she came to sit by the bed, not saying a word, only barely responding to Thor's promptings, she found herself losing the battle. She felt an ache, between her ribs, in her heart, a feeling of being returned to somewhere or someone at long last. She remembered the Norns' words.

_(Take care of the boy. His place is meant to be next to the Thunderer. He is the key to many things.)_

He is meant to be next to Thor. He was meant to be his friend. Could she separate them now? When the Norns themselves were against it? She did not know. She continued to talk to Loki, and even though he did not answer once, she saw him relaxing slightly over time. Thor seemed to pick up on her strategy, jumping to conversation with her, offering to bring thorn oranges to him as soon as possible. Loki did look a bit brighter after that fact, and Frigga promised herself to bake something with the fruit.

It was when they were talking about spells that Loki first spoke.

"Mamma! Give me a hint!"

"No silly, you reviewed the spell with master Runar last week"

"But I do not remember!" Thor wined.

"Nattskygge" Loki mumbled, his voice so very small. Frigga hid her sudden wave of surprise, happiness and relief and kept talking, not missing a beat.

"Very good, Loki!" 

"Loki, you have such a good memory!" Thor chirped, pleased he was speaking again.

Loki glanced between them, looking like he wished he never spoke. His fists were shaking a bit, but he ducked his head and Frigga could see the shade of a dark blush. She smiled.

And that is when Odin entered. 

He went through the door, looking gaunt and tired. Frigga wanted to smooth over the lines on his forehead, but it could not be done now. Not until they dealt with Loki's situation. Odin swept his gaze over the room, relieved when he found Thor and herself unharmed, and stopping when he saw the frost giant he had been talked so much about in the past months.

Loki froze, looking straight at him, and he started shaking. His red eyes firmly put on the sheets, he tried to make himself smaller and clenched the sheets almost painfully. Frigga tried to calm him down, but he flinched away from her. Thor looked from his father to Loki, understanding too old to be on a child dawning on his face.

"Father, leave"

"Pardon?"

"I am sorry father, I will speak with you outside, please Mamma, go with him" he said, crawling closer to Loki on the bed. Loki's eyes, to Frigga's horror, were filling with tears. Odin startled slightly at the sight, but nodded his head and ducked out of the room with Frigga in tow.

Outside the room, they could both hear soft crying coming from inside, and Thor's soft reassurances. Frigga could tell her husband felt guilty for scaring the child. It was in his lowered shoulders, in his furrowed eyebrows. She took his hand.

"Do not worry. He did not relax with me either"

"But he was not _scared_ , surely"

"The sweet thing has gone through so very much, husband. I am sure you know that" They had both seen the lines on his body, and his unnatural size. They both knew what they meant.

"Thor has been seeing him" It was not a question.

"Since the beginning of spring" she confirmed. Odin sighed.

"They are friends, are they not?"

"It seems they are more than that..."

"What do you mean?"

"I heard Thor call him brother once"

"...."

"He was that lonely, huh?"

"It was not your fault, wife"

"I should have tried to be with him more"

"But then perhaps he would not have gone to Jötunheim to prove himself"

"Was it a good thing, then?"

"The little one was about to die, from what you have told me"

"Malnourished and abandoned, yes" Frigga felt the disgust at such cruelty curling in her chest.

"Then it was a good thing"

"The Norns spoke of him. Of both of them" Odin turned his eye at her.

"What did they say?"

"He is meant to be by Thor's side"

"...I see him, and I feel"

"What was that, husband?"

"When I see him, I get a feeling. Of longing, and regret. Like I have failed him, but I do not know him"

"Me too. Like I should have protected him better, like I should have listened, although, I do not know why"

"Yggdrasil's branches stretch far into the universe. Far into time, and space, too"

"What do you mean to say?"

"Perhaps we did know him. In another time, in another place. And we failed him then"

"Then, when Thor says 'brother'...was he our kin?"

"I do not know"

"..."

"He wants him to stay, does he not?"

"He does"

"Do you?"

"...I do"

Odin closed his eyes briefly, and then peered around the corner, looking into the room. Frigga did so as well. They were both there, next to each other. Loki was talking to Thor, and their son was petting his head. Frigga could only catch some snippets of the conversation.

"...hurt me..."

"...can trust them?"

"....you to get in trouble..."

"....protect you...."

Her heart ached. Looking at them now, like this, they looked so much like brothers it hurt. Ignoring the color of Loki's skin, and Thor's heritage, it felt like a piece had fallen into place in a puzzle, and Frigga was flooded with the feeling that she had done this before. Peeking into their room, seeing them together, whispering about the stars, and dreams and the future. She felt her eyes water. Odin sighed. Frigga looked at her husband, and saw a man. Not a king, not the All-Father. A tired, serious man. The man she had fallen in love with. A man who tried to do the best he could for Asgard. He looked at him, at his eye, which was pinned in the two children. He saw the unnamed emotion in its depths. 

She saw.

And she understood. The decision had already been made.

Frigga smiled.

It looked like she had to prepare an extra bed tonight.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Odin, honestly trying his best: wife, i think i might be making progress–  
> Loki: *screeches*  
> Odin:....*cries on the inside*
> 
> Poor man is trying.  
> \-----------
> 
> Thor: so i basically saved this kid from a certain death and gave him a home. that surely erases my penalty, doesn't it?  
> Frigga: you're still grounded.  
> Thor: ....worth a shot.  
> \-----------
> 
> Loki: *squints* wh–what is this..."affection"? is it like an infliction?  
> The royal family, crying: it's a hUG LOKI, IT'S CALLED A HUG–


	12. Is Child's Play

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Epilogue

"Brother!"

Loki's call jolted Thor out of his musings. 

"Sorry Loki, I was deep in thought. What were you saying?"

Loki raised an eyebrow.

"You are quite distracted today. Is something the matter?"

Thor smiled, and adjusted himself so he was facing his brother. They were in Loki's room, at the balcony, looking at the stars while they prepared their bags for the journey they would take in the morning.

"Not at all. I was simply reminiscing"

"Is that so? About what, if I may ask?" Loki said, curiosity in his green eyes.

They had grown impossibly taller, both of them, although Thor was wider around the shoulders where Loki was slim. Thor was not wearing his beloved red cape, although he would tomorrow. Loki was wearing a simple white shirt with loose pants, mirroring Thor's own attire. They were older, wiser, and had pursued quite different interests, but they remained as close as ever.

"The past. When you and I met. Do you remember?"

Loki startled. "Why would you be thinking of that?"

"I do not know. Just marveling at time, I guess. How far we have come since then" he answered sincerely. 

Loki hummed, turning his gaze to the night sky. Thor was overcome with a sudden desire to see his brother's other form. He had not seen it in quite some time. Although it made sense, Loki only lowered their mother's spell when they were alone and he felt comfortable or tired, or when Asgard's heat was too much to bear. The rest of the time, he kept this appearance. Green sparkling eyes, and pale, smooth skin. Thor still preferred his Jötun look, though, even if Loki did not.

"Are you still nervous about your coronation?"

"You know I am. I do not think I am ready for such a great responsibility" he admitted. His coronation had been put on hold for now, because of their mission, but Thor still dreaded the day.

"You will be fine, you will have Father to guide you"

"And you, as well, will I not?" he turned to him. Loki snorted.

"Of course. I cannot let you rule unhinged and wild. I will drag you by your ear whenever it is necessary" 

"I am glad I will have such a bright person by my side, then, even if my ear may suffer"

"Well, it is my job, as your 'valet', Prince Thor" he said mockingly. 

Thor laughed heartily. Loki's status was a running joke between them, for the sheer absurdity of it. It had been the only way Loki could stay in Asgard, close to the royal family without being in danger. With his Aesir looks, Thor was able to keep Loki close with the pretense of the younger having to serve him. Loki played the part, handing him his books, reminding him of his schedule, and other royal things. But they knew that Loki would never be his valet, but his brother, and the unofficial second child of the king and queen. The ploy had worked wonders, for the citizens of Asgard and even the staff spoke of them as being 'as close as brothers', so Thor could get away with calling Loki that in public without fear. Personal companions could come to be like family for royalty in some cases after all, especially if they were assigned since childhood, so their relationship never caused any suspicion.

"Do you think we will find those mighty warriors?" he mused. They were their goal. Going as mediators, ambassadors from Asgard, and recruiting earth's 'mightiest heroes' for their battle against any invisible forces. His father had seen something suspicious moving in the depths of Yggdrasil, too big for his liking, so they needed all the help they could get. An alliance with Midgard seemed like the best place to start.

"If what I heard was right, these 'Avengers' are staying at a famous tower in their city. It should not be too hard to find them"

"Will they accept our offer?"

"They might be difficult to convince, but we must do our best" Loki said, looking at him in the eyes.

"The future of the universe depends on it"

Thor swallowed.

"But we will face it" he said, conviction hardening his tone. Loki nodded.

"Together"

"Together"

Loki smiled at him, a lopsided, toothy thing, and Thor was suddenly reeling with how much he loved his brother. Having been remembering how he started, that weak, scared little kid, half dead in a cave, did not help. To his embarrassment, he felt his eyes getting misty.

"M-may I hug you?"

Loki laughed, surprised.

"What?"

"I just. I am really glad I went to that cave, back then"

"Oh. Well..." Loki scratched the back of his head "I am glad you did, too"

"So may I hug you?"

Loki sighed. It was as good as a yes. Thor wrapped himself around his little brother, breathing in the familiar tingly scent of magic that seemed to follow Loki wherever he went.

"I love you, brother"

"And I you, oaf" Loki muttered, bashful.

Thor had a lot of things to worry about. The invisible threat they were facing, connecting with Midgard, his coronation, master Runar's next test....but he was certain he could face it all, with his brother here.

It would be child's play.

.

.

.

.

"Thor, are you _crying?_ "

_"No"_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading this far! I am very proud of this story, because I usually don't finish my projects, or I only leave them as one-shots. But I came through with this one until the end! And boy, was it fun.  
> \------
> 
> Fun facts:
> 
> –You know master Runar's favorite is Loki. You know it is. Thor is sweet but can't get a boulder to float to save his life.
> 
> –When Frigga and Loki spar with magic, Thor is equally amazed and terrified.
> 
> –Finn still doesn't understand why the brothers looked so smug when he said there was no way a frost giant could sneak into Asgard.
> 
> –Eir lowkey threatened the brothers with spilling Loki's secret when they were children if they misbehaved. It was a very effective method.
> 
> –Loki wouldn't go near Odin for like eight months when he first arrived. Poor bby was scared.
> 
> –The first time Loki called Odin 'father' he teared up.
> 
> –Children tried to bully Loki cuz they were jealous of him being Thor's 'personal servant' but Thor gathered them one day and they never bothered him again. To this day nobody knows what he did.  
> \---------  
> Okay so, don't worry, there's actually still one chapter left, which I'll post later this day separately. It's part of this series and it's a one shot from Loki's POV after he was saved.  
> Also, because I'm a self indulgent sucker for Loki AUs where he (or sometimes she) gets the love and/or friendship he deserves, I have more content on him that I'll post soon enough, so stay tuned on my profile for that ;)
> 
> Thank you all for your kind comments once more and see you later!

**Author's Note:**

> First published on Wattpad, but I decided to give AO3 a shot. Please be kind, this is my first time in this website, aaaaand English is not my first language. Still, I did my best, enjoy this concept!


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